Rooftop solar users face inspection hurdle in subsidy process

Gurgaon : The city's rooftop-solar boom is exposing a crucial last-mile challenge under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana — getting installed systems inspected and verified so consumers can complete the subsidy process. The city received 7,497 applications in just five months till May, with more than 4,200 systems activated or connected. DHBVN has now directed its entire field hierarchy to coordinate with the third-party inspection agency and ensure access to pending sites. DHBVN's Sept 7 release says 2,132 inspection calls were issued in Haryana , 1,660 inspections completed and 472 sites marked inaccessible. Official data shows Haryana had 63,914 installations and subsidy was released against 53,942 installations till March 19, with Rs 398.7 crore disbursed. The gap is not necessarily a subsidy backlog. The difference of nearly 10,000 installations cannot, however, be described as a confirmed backlog — it could include cases at different stages of verification, redemption or correction. The govt said that once all credentials are correctly entered on the national portal, CFA processing takes an average of about 15 days after the consumer submits the redemption request. DHBVN managing director Vikram Singh has directed chief engineers, superintending engineers, executive engineers, SDOs and junior engineers to coordinate with the third-party inspection agency and ensure access to sites where installations are awaiting inspection. The discom has appointed Moody International (India) Pvt Ltd as the third-party inspection agency for Haryana, with inspections carried out against permits generated through the national portal. DHBVN said lack of awareness among consumers, refusal to allow inspection and other field-level difficulties were making it hard for the inspection team to access some premises — the likely explanation for the 472 sites marked inaccessible. In Gurgaon specifically, demand has surged: applications till May 13 stood at 7,497 across DHBVN's two circles, with Circle 1 accounting for 4,142 applications, 2,560 connections provided and subsidies disbursed to around 2,360 applicants, and Circle 2 recording 3,355 applications and 1,646 systems activated. For consumers, inspection is not simply a technical formality. The ministry of new and renewable energy says central financial assistance under the rooftop-solar programme is transferred to the consumer only after successful installation and verification by the state discom, with the national portal handling the process from application to subsidy disbursal — making last-mile verification particularly important for households that have already paid for their systems. There are other bottlenecks too. At a high-level review in May, Haryana officials were asked to speed up pending cases and installation work, and bank officials were asked to simplify loan approval and disbursal so consumers did not face financial difficulties. The state also ordered regular coordination meetings with vendors. At the time, DHBVN had released 36,130 connections against a target of 1.2 lakh, while UHBVN had released 45,605 against a target of one lakh. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Gurgaon | Silver Rate in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon | Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Petrol Price in Gurgaon | Diesel Price in Gurgaon | CNG Price in Gurgaon | LPG Price in Gurgaon Stay updated with the latest Gurgaon news. Download the TOI App.