Solar power lights up remote Tripura villages, earns praise in Mann Ki Baat programme

The transformative impact of solar energy in remote and tribal inhabited areas of Tripura has gained national recognition, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, highlighting the state's achievements in his popular monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.

Speaking about the success of the ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ (PMSGMBY), the Prime Minister in his 132nd episode of the monthly radio programme noted that solar mini-grids are bringing reliable electricity to previously underserved tribal communities in the Northeast.

In Tripura, particularly among villages of the Reang tribal community, solar power has transformed daily life, enabling children to study after sunset, improving access to mobile connectivity, and strengthening social and economic activity.

Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath shared these developments after listening to the programme alongside local residents of his Assembly constituency in Mohanpur in West Tripura.

Minister Nath, who also holds the Agriculture portfolio, emphasised that solar microgrids are ushering in a new era of hope in remote 'Janajati' (tribal) areas, with Karnaram Para in Mungiakami Rural Development Block of Khowai district emerging as a model of this change.

According to the Minister, solar mini-grids have already provided free electricity to 12,103 families across 347 remote localities in Tripura's mountainous regions.

Additionally, 2,753 households have installed rooftop solar panels under the PMSGMBY scheme. The benefits extend beyond households.

Around 7,991 farming families have received solar-powered irrigation pumps, helping irrigate nearly 40,000 kani (one kani is generally equal to nearly 0.33 acres) land.

Under the PM DevINE (Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North Eastern Region), electricity has reached 9,725 homes across 247 localities, while the PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) initiative has supported 1,703 families in 30 localities.

Describing the broader impact, Minister Nath said that solar energy is not just lighting homes but also reshaping aspirations and livelihoods.

He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for recognising Tripura's progress, calling it a milestone in the state's journey toward self-reliance and sustainable development.

"From darkness to light, this transformation is more than electrification -- it is a new beginning," he said, adding that Tripura is steadily advancing toward a brighter, solar-powered future.