The installation of solar street lights in Bihar’s 17 districts has been accelerated by the Panchayati Raj department.
Photo Credit: Panchayati Raj Dept.
Patna, March 18, 2026: The Panchayati Raj Department, Bihar, has accelerated the installation of solar street lights across gram panchayats in 17 districts of the state, aiming to strengthen rural infrastructure and promote clean energy.
A review meeting chaired by Naveen Kumar Singh, Director of the department, was held on Wednesday in Patna to assess progress.
Officials were directed to ensure time-bound completion of installations, particularly in South Bihar districts, including Jamui, Bhagalpur, Patna, Arwal, Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar, Banka, Aurangabad, Gaya, Munger, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Lakhisarai, Jehanabad, and Bhojpur districts.
Progress under the solar street light scheme:
Under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light Scheme, 3,64,605 lights have already been installed across these districts.
Among them, 37,656 lights have been installed in Patna district alone.
Officials have been instructed to achieve 100% installation by March 31, 2026.
The Director of the Panchayati Raj also directed the officials to seek explanations from agencies causing delays, take action as per contractual agreements, and conduct regular night inspections through Panchayat Secretaries.
He also emphasized resolving technical issues such as integration with centralized monitoring systems, signal loss and faulty solar street lights.
Strengthen rural infrastructure:
In addition, officials were instructed to expedite the handover and operationalization of Panchayat Sarkar Bhawans across the state.
Launched in September 2022, the scheme aims to install over 10 lakh solar street lights across 8,053 gram panchayats in Bihar.
The plan includes installing 10 solar street lights in each of the state’s 1.15 lakh wards.
Supported by the Finance Commission, the project uses off-grid, battery-powered systems, making it especially effective in rural and poorly electrified areas.
The initiative is designed to improve rural safety and visibility, promote clean and renewable energy, and modernize village infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Dr. Aditya Prakash and Nazar Hussain, the secretaries of the Panchayati Raj department, along with other department officials.
EOM.
