Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo ruled out any plans to provide free electricity to consumers in the State.

Responding to a query from BJD legislator from Rourkela, Sarada Prasad Nayak in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Singh Deo clarified the State Government has no proposal to offer up to 300 units of free electricity.

However, he highlighted households can benefit from the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana 2024, which allows them to generate their own electricity by installing rooftop solar projects. Under this scheme, the Central and State Governments provide financial assistance of ₹78,000 and ₹60,000, respectively, for each household to generate 3kW of solar energy. Consumers can produce up to 300 kW of electricity per month through this initiative, he added.

Further elaborating on the scheme, Singh Deo informed the House that the Odisha Government has allocated ₹1,800 crore for the financial years 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 to support the PM-Surya Ghar initiative. The scheme will remain in effect until the 2026-27 financial year.

As of March 24, 2025, a total of 97,128 electricity consumers in Odisha have applied for the scheme, and solar installations have already been completed on the rooftops of 3,124 households, the Energy Minister stated. He emphasised the scheme will help boost solar energy adoption in the State while addressing power shortages and load shedding.

In his unstarred question, Nayak asked the Government about its plans to implement a 300-unit free electricity scheme and the status of the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. He sought details on the State’s action plan and the timeframe for implementing these initiatives.

Notably, in its 2024 election manifesto, the Odisha BJP pledged to provide free electricity to every Antyodaya household. The manifesto read: “We will provide free electricity up to 100 units for every Antyodaya household.”