Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Inaugurates ‘Solar Village’ Project; Manyachiwadi (Tal. Patan) Becomes Maharashtra’s First Solar Village

Satara : The state government has made significant strides in the power sector over the past two and a half years, focusing on the common man as its centerpiece. From April onwards, 4.4 million farmers in the state are receiving free electricity for the next five years. The Chief Minister’s Solar Agricultural Scheme and the “Magiël Tyala Solar Krishipump” Scheme will provide electricity supply during the day. Additionally, the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme is reducing electricity bills to nearly zero for domestic consumers. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde affirmed the state government’s commitment to providing substantial financial relief to farmers and domestic electricity consumers through the effective implementation of these schemes.

In Manyachiwadi village, located in Patan Taluka (Satara District), 100% solar electrification has been achieved by ‘MahaVitaran’. Speaking at the inauguration of Maharashtra’s first ‘Solar Village’, Chief Minister Shinde lauded the work done by the state in the power sector, offering special congratulations to Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the village’s Sarpanch, Ravindra Mane, for this milestone. The event was attended by Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Guardian Minister Shambhuraj Desai, Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare, MahaVitaran Chairman and Managing Director Lokesh Chandra, Sarpanch of Manyachiwadi Ravindra Mane, and MahaVitaran Director (Projects) Prasad Reshme.

Chief Minister Shinde stated that Manyachiwadi village in Satara district has earned the distinction of becoming the first solar village in the state, and he extended his congratulations to every citizen of the village. Solar energy is proving to be a boon for both domestic consumers and farmers. Under the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, domestic electricity bills are being reduced to zero through rooftop solar power projects. The state government has also announced the “Magiël Tyala Solar Krishipump” scheme, under which farmers in the open category will pay only 10% of the cost, while Scheduled Caste and Tribe farmers will pay 5% to receive agricultural pumps and solar panels with a capacity of up to 7.5 HP. The remaining cost will be covered by the state government’s subsidy, according to Chief Minister Shinde.

Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted that the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar Scheme is providing free electricity to domestic consumers. Over the next year and a half, the state is set to generate 12,000 megawatts of electricity through solar energy, which will be supplied to farmers during the day. This initiative will eliminate the need for farmers to go to their fields at night for irrigation. Maharashtra has taken a significant lead in solar energy, and the inauguration of Manyachiwadi as the state’s first solar village is a matter of pride. Previously, the village had an electricity bill of ₹5.25 lakh, which has now been reduced to zero due to its solar status. A campaign has been launched to convert 100 villages in the state to 100% solar energy, with the selection of villages already underway, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis stated.

The event was also attended by Annasaheb Patil Economic Corporation Chairman Narendra Patil, MLA Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale, MLA and Krishna Khore Development Corporation Vice-Chairman Mahesh Shinde, MLA Jaykumar Gore, MahaVitaran Executive Director Dhananjay Aundhekar, Pune Regional Director Bhujang Khandare, and Chief Engineer Ankush Nale.