The winning village will receive an incentive grant of Rs 1 crore to accelerate renewable energy adoption

Ten villages in Mandya district have been shortlisted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to compete for the Model Solar Village title under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme. The winning village will receive an incentive grant of Rs 1 crore to accelerate renewable energy adoption.

The selected villages are Kennalu and Gummanahalli (Pandavapura taluk), Belagola and Arakere (Srirangapatna taluk), Keelar and Santekasalagere (Mandya taluk), Besagarahalli and Kesturu (Maddur taluk), and Belakavadi and Kirugavalu (Malavalli taluk).

To drive the initiative, each village has set up a task force led by the Panchayat Development Officer. These committees are responsible for rolling out incentive programmes, motivating households and institutions to install rooftop solar panels, and promoting solar-powered pump sets for agriculture under the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM-B) scheme.

Oversight will be provided by a district-level steering committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner. The body includes Zilla Panchayat CEOs, Tahsildars, engineers from Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC), and local PDOs to ensure effective monitoring and coordination.

The competition underscores the government’s push for decentralised clean energy solutions and reflects a model that could be replicated nationwide. By mobilising local governance structures and incentivising solar adoption, the scheme aims to strengthen India’s renewable energy transition while enhancing rural energy security.