Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu virtually inaugurated a 500-kilowatt ground-mounted solar power project in Gram Panchayat Mamlig, Solan district, from Shimla under the Green Panchayat Scheme.
Built at a cost of Rs 2 crore, the construction of the project began on 23 December, 2024, and it was connected to the electricity grid on 24 February, 2026.
The chief minister said the project was currently generating around 3,000 units of clean electricity every day and was expected to produce nearly eight lakh units annually. Under the power purchase agreement, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited would purchase the electricity at Rs. 3.50 per unit, providing the state with clean energy as well as a stable source of long-term revenue.
He said the project’s biggest strength was its people-centric revenue-sharing model. 25 percent of the income generated under this project would be used for development works in the gram panchayat, another 25 percent on the welfare of orphans and widows, 20 per cent would go to the state government, and 20 percent to HIMURJA, and the remaining 10 percent would be used for the operation and maintenance of the project. The Gram Panchayat is expected to earn around Rs. 14 lakh every year from the project.
Sh. Sukhu said the solar power plant, which has a lifespan of 25 years, was an excellent example of clean energy generation, environmental protection, rural development and social welfare. He said the initiative would support the state’s sustainable development goals while helping make village panchayats more self-reliant.
The chief minister said the state government was working to strengthen the rural economy, and setting up a solar power project in a panchayat was an important step in that direction. The state government was providing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for naturally grown farm produce and the highest support price for milk in the country. The government aims for the people living in villages to also enjoy facilities similar to those available in towns and cities.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil, present at the inauguration in Mamlig, thanked Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for the solar power project and said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the government is striving to strengthen the education and health sectors.
More than 80 per cent of the vacancies in the posts of doctors in government health institutions have been filled, and there has also been a significant improvement in the appointments of paramedical staff and technicians, Dr. Shandil said. He added that now government hospitals in Himachal Pradesh have facilities for advanced medical services, including MRI, 3-tesla MRI scanners and robotic surgery, which were available only in big hospitals in metros earlier.
He said the state government has launched a comprehensive campaign against drug abuse and appealed to the people of all sections of society to actively support the initiative to make Himachal Pradesh free from the menace of ‘chitta’.
Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, was also present in Shimla during the virtual inauguration.
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