The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has allowed rooftop solar vendors under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana from adjacent states to work in Union Territories (UTs). Under the program, vendors registered with one distribution company (DISCOM) are allowed to work with multiple DISCOMs in the same state.

The government of India launched the program on February 13, 2024, to install rooftop solar projects in ten million households.

The ministry recognized that only a few vendors were available in the UTs to install the rooftop solar projects.

Addressing the issue and ensuring that there are enough vendors available in the UT for faster program implementation, the ministry said vendors registered or empaneled with the adjacent states can also undertake the installation of projects in UTs without any additional bank guarantee.

The ministry also reiterated that the vendors registered with one DISCOM in a state will be allowed to work in other DISCOMs in the same state without any additional bank guarantee.

The vendors of Tamil Nadu are allowed to work in Puducherry, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Punjab in Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana in Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, West Bengal in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Kerala in Lakshadweep.

These steps aim to expedite the installation of rooftop solar systems in UTs to promote the program more effectively. Along similar lines, in April, the ministry also invited comments and suggestions on the draft guidelines for implementing the PM Surya Ghar program in the residential rooftop segment.

The ministry recently amended the process document for implementing the program by allowing multi-state vendor registration on the national portal for the residential rooftop solar program. This was followed by suggestions from stakeholders.