# 17,698 Varanasi households get zero power bills under solar scheme 2026-08-09T09:57:19+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet More than 50,000 households in Varanasi have installed rooftop solar systems under the Prime Minister Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, with 17,698 consumers now receiving zero electricity bills, according to TNN. The district has developed over 150 MW of solar capacity, with rooftop plants generating nearly 7.5 lakh units of clean electricity worth over Rs 51 lakh per day. Chief development officer Prakhar Kumar Singh said 76,218 people have applied so far under the scheme. Residents like Seema Bano and Santosh Kumar Srivastava reported their bills dropping from Rs 2,000-3,500 to zero, freeing up household budgets. ## Coverage - energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: electricity bills, renewable energy, solar energy, subsidies, Varanasi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/17698-varanasi-households-get-zero-power-bills-under-solar-scheme/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/17698-varanasi-households-get-zero-power-bills-under-solar-scheme/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.