Bhubaneswar: Odisha is leading the nation in rooftop solar adoption, as highlighted during the 29th Board Meetings of the state’s power distribution companies (DISCOMs) held on 22 April. ACS Energy and E&IT Shri Vishal Kumar Dev detailed out issues and opened the deliberations.
The individual meetings, chaired by Chief Secretary Shrimati Anu Garg at Lokseva Bhawan, focused on reviewing the performance and future initiatives of TP Northern, Southern, Central, and Western Odisha Distribution Limited. A major highlight of the session was the success of the Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) Scheme, where Odisha has recorded the highest number of installations in the country.
The state has reported a total of 84,888 rooftop solar systems installed so far. This includes 55,888 installations under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and 29,000 via the ULA scheme. The ULA scheme, launched in November 2025, allows domestic consumers with a 1 kW load to install systems for a subsidized contribution of just 1,875 rupees. Moving forward, the state aims to reach 3 lakh households, with plans to accelerate the pace to 25,000 installations every month. Notable success has already been seen in three villages across Cuttack and Ganjam, where 280 households now receive electricity with zero monthly bills.
Beyond renewable energy, the DISCOMs have demonstrated significant operational improvements. Aggregate Technical and Commercial losses have dropped from 29.5% in the 2019-20 fiscal year to 14.6% in 2025-26. These efficiencies have contributed to a five-year period with no retail tariff increases for consumers. Nationally, TPNODL and TPCODL were ranked 2nd and 4th respectively among non-urban distribution utilities.
The Chief Secretary also emphasized the expansion of Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. After spending 17 crore rupees in the 2025-26 fiscal year, the budget will increase to 20 crore rupees for the coming year. These funds support 16 mobile health dispensaries and 20 vocational training centers, with plans to add more of both in the next year. Ms. Garg concluded the meetings by urging officials to prioritize the prompt redressal of public grievances and ensure a safe, reliable power supply for all citizens.