A rooftop solar panel is often presented as a straightforward proposition: use the roof, generate electricity and reduce the household’s dependence on the grid. In Jammu and Kashmir, the ambition has attracted thousands of households. But the scheme intended to accelerate the transition is running against a more complicated reality of bank approvals, vendor capacity, technical manpower and uneven progress between districts.
By October 5, the Union Territory had installed 46,133 rooftop solar systems against a target of 83,500 households under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. That represented 55.24 per cent of the target, higher than the national progress figure of 50.80 per cent. The achievement, however, conceals the size of the remaining task.
There were 37,367 installations still to be completed before the scheme’s March 31, 2027 deadline. A presentation by the Power Development Department at a review chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo showed that J&K needed to install about 6,227 systems every month. Its recorded monthly pace was 3,261. If that rate continued, the department projected approximately 65,699 installations by the deadline, leaving a shortfall of roughly 17,800.
The figures show a programme that has moved beyond its halfway mark but is not yet moving quickly enough to meet its stated target. The difference between the monthly requirement and the current pace is not a small operational adjustment. It requires a sustained acceleration across financing, approvals, installation and commissioning.
The two power distribution utilities are progressing at different speeds. The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited had completed 28,324 installations against a target of 44,000, or 64.38 per cent. The Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited had completed 17,809 against a target of 39,500, or 45.09 per cent. JPDCL’s monthly rate of 1,412 was particularly far below the 3,615 installations it needed to achieve each month.
The district-level figures reveal an equally uneven picture. Kupwara had crossed its target, with 4,564 installations against 4,500. Shopian stood at 99.41 per cent. Srinagar, which had the largest district target of 15,000, had reached 50.35 per cent. In the Jammu division, Poonch was at 28.71 per cent, while Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri and Reasi were all below 40 per cent.
The variation matters because a Union Territory-wide percentage can make progress appear more uniform than it is. A district close to its target and another still below two-fifths of its allocation face different tasks. The agencies responsible for implementation must identify where applications are being held up, whether vendors are available and whether households can obtain financing.
The department identified bank finance as the principal bottleneck. About 75 per cent of installations in KPDCL’s area depended on loans. Across J&K, 61,566 loan applications had been filed; 17,416 were rejected, and 5,367 remained pending. Within KPDCL’s jurisdiction, 14,232 of 43,398 applications had been turned down. In Bandipora, J&K Bank data showed that 1,033 of 1,989 applications had been rejected, a rate of about 52 per cent.
A rejection is not necessarily proof that a bank has acted improperly. Lenders must assess repayment capacity and documentation. But when a scheme’s implementation depends heavily on household borrowing, the reasons for rejection become central to its performance. If eligible households cannot obtain loans, the installation target becomes harder to reach regardless of public interest.
Time is another constraint. The department said loans took around 25 days from application to disbursal. The entire process, from registration to commissioning, was intended to take about a month. A financing process that consumes most of that period leaves little room for vendor scheduling, installation, inspection and connection formalities. The department proposed exploring a waiver of the co-borrower requirement for senior citizens who are pensioners, an indication that standard lending arrangements may not suit every household.
The financial bottleneck is only one part of the problem. The department said the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had not released awareness and outreach funds for 2024–25 and 2025–26. It argued that the absence of these funds had affected campaigns and the mobilisation of vendors. Technical manpower remained short despite training drives, while supplies of Tier-1 solar modules had been intermittent.
The vendor network also appears thinner than the registration list suggests. Of 983 registered vendors, only about 300 were active in J&K. KPDCL had recently blacklisted one vendor, while show-cause notices had been issued to 41 inactive vendors in JPDCL and 10 in KPDCL. Officials said delays by some vendors were damaging public trust in the scheme.
That problem has a direct bearing on the household experience. A consumer who registers interest in a rooftop system must be able to identify an authorised vendor, receive a clear estimate, arrange installation and obtain the necessary approvals. If a vendor does not respond or cannot complete the work, the consumer may lose time and confidence. A scheme can have a large number of registered service providers on paper while the number actually available to take up work remains limited.
The type of system consumers want may also be changing. The department said households were increasingly interested in hybrid systems with storage. Such systems can offer backup during outages, but they may involve higher costs and a different subsidy requirement. Officials said an additional top-up subsidy from the Union Territory would be needed to support this preference. The proposal raises a policy question: whether the programme should focus on the standard rooftop system envisaged by the scheme or adapt its support to consumers seeking storage as well.
The administration has not been inactive. Officials said 1,614 awareness campaigns had been held, and Seva Setu camps were scheduled to continue until October 17. The Chief Secretary’s review brought the performance figures and bottlenecks before the departments and utilities responsible for implementation. But meetings and camps can only produce results if they are followed by measurable improvements in loan processing, vendor availability and commissioning.
The national scheme’s household-level appeal is clear. Rooftop solar can allow consumers to generate some of their own electricity and reduce the amount they draw from the distribution network. For the power system, distributed generation can contribute to a broader energy transition. But the benefits depend on systems being installed correctly, connected safely and maintained over time. The number of applications or registrations is not a substitute for completed installations.
The October figures provide a useful benchmark, but they should not be mistaken for a final outcome. The projection of 65,699 installations was based on the pace recorded at that point. A faster rate could narrow the gap; further delays could widen it. The department’s challenge is to turn a numerical target into a sequence of tasks with clear responsibility and deadlines.
The first priority is to make financing more predictable. Banks and utilities need a transparent mechanism to review rejected applications, explain the reasons for rejection and resolve cases where documentation or eligibility issues can be corrected. The second is to ensure that registered vendors are active, qualified and accountable. Consumers need reliable information about whom to contact and what timeline to expect. The third is to address the shortage of technical workers and the supply of equipment, so that approvals do not simply create another waiting list.
The district figures also suggest that implementation should be tailored to local conditions. A district that has nearly met its target may need help clearing the final installations, while one that is far behind may need a more intensive effort to reach households and bring vendors into the area. A single Union Territory-wide campaign cannot resolve every local obstacle.
The scheme’s progress is real: more than 46,000 households had installed rooftop systems by October 5. But the distance to the target remains substantial. J&K needs nearly twice its recorded monthly pace to finish by the deadline. The question is no longer whether rooftop solar has attracted interest. It is whether the institutions that turn that interest into working systems can move quickly enough to meet the promise.
About the Author
Wajahat Iqbal Kashtwari is a filmmaker and multimedia professional with a keen interest in the environment, ecology, and climate change.
