Prashnavachak News
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, praised Diu as a national model for clean energy adoption, declaring it the first district in India to fulfill its entire power demand through solar energy, achieving a total installed capacity of 11.88 MW (including 9 MW ground-mounted + 2.88 MW rooftop). During his visit, the Minister conducted a comprehensive review of the region’s solar progress and assessed the on-ground implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, aimed at providing free electricity through rooftop solar systems.
Chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Union Territory, including Energy Secretary Shri T. Arun, Diu Collector Dr. Vivek Kumar, Deputy Collector Shri Shivam Mishra, and other engineers and administrators, the Minister was briefed on solar plant operations, production capacity, cost recovery, and household-level benefits. It was noted that a large number of families are now actively benefiting from solar energy under the scheme.
The Minister later visited the Fudam Solar Park, a critical pillar of Diu’s sustainable infrastructure, and commended its contribution in reducing transmission and distribution (T&D) losses while enabling affordable electricity tariffs for local residents. He acknowledged the leadership of UT Administrator Shri Praful Patel, whose forward-looking governance, he said, was key to the territory’s clean energy transformation. Minister Joshi highlighted that capital investments made over the past decade have already been recovered through solar power generation and distribution. He called for accelerated and expanded implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana to achieve total household saturation across the Union Territory. The visit reaffirmed the Government of India’s strong commitment to sustainable, affordable energy access for all, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
