Agartala, September 6, 2025: Faced with a shortage of natural gas, Tripura is now banking on solar energy to meet its electricity demand, State Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Friday.
Speaking at a mega camp on the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Mufti Bijli Yojana at Hall No. 2 of Unkoti Kalakshetra, Kailashahar, Nath said that the state must diversify its power sources as gas production is gradually falling.
“Electricity is mainly generated through water, coal, wind, heat and other sources. In Tripura, we have been producing electricity from natural gas. But gas production is gradually decreasing, and as a result, electricity is not being generated as per the requirement,” the minister said.
Highlighting the importance of solar power, Nath informed that under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, the state government has set a target to reach 50,000 consumers by March 2027, particularly household users.
“The cost of installing a one-kilowatt solar system is around Rs 65,000 to 75,000, with a maximum subsidy of Rs 33,000. For a two-kilowatt system, the cost is about Rs 1.3 lakh, with a maximum subsidy of Rs 66,000. A three-kilowatt system costs Rs 1.9 lakh to 2.1 lakh, with a maximum subsidy of Rs 85,000,” Nath said.
He added that so far, 13,536 people have registered under the scheme, while 266 solar panels have already been installed in the state.
“Currently Tripura is generating electricity only from natural gas. But as the gas supply is decreasing, we are now looking at solar energy. More citizens should come forward and take advantage of this scheme so that a sustainable and energy-secure future for the state can be ensured,” Nath appealed.
The event, organized by the Tripura State Power Corporation Limited (TSECL), was attended by MLA Birjit Sinha, Chairman of Gournagar Panchayat Samiti Lakshmi Namah, Vice Chairman Badruzzaman, Pur Parishad Chairperson Chapla Debroy, Vice Chairperson Nitish De, and TSECL Managing Director Biswajit Basu, among others.
It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana on February 13, 2024, with a national target of installing 1 crore rooftop solar systems by 2027 to provide free electricity to households.
