Chandigarh tops region in solar plant initiative: Centre

The Centre has informed Parliament that Chandigarh has reported the highest number of government buildings with rooftop solar (RTS) plants in the region, even as it categorically denied issuing any directions to compel residents to install the solar system through coercive measures such as threatening cancellation of property registrations or conveyance deeds.

The clarification came in response to Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari’s unstarred question on the status of solar installations and alleged mandatory directives issued in the Union Territory.

According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s reply, as on October 31, 2025, Chandigarh reported RTS installations on 6,606 government buildings, with a total capacity of 52.825 MW, far exceeding Punjab’s 4,474 buildings (34 MW) and Haryana’s 241 buildings (4.82 MW). Nationwide, 619.78 MW of rooftop solar capacity has been installed at 13,525 Central Government buildings.

Responding to Tewari’s query on whether any authority had issued coercive instructions altering building bylaws or threatening residents with cancellation of registration deeds for not installing rooftop solar plants, the Centre stated that no such directions were ever issued by the Ministry to any state or UT administration.

The MP, reacting sharply to the figures and the denial of coercive directives, called for an immediate inquiry to identify who in the UT Administration had circulated such instructions last year.

Speaking to The Tribune, he said: “It will be interesting to find out which are these 6,000-odd government buildings on which rooftop solar plants have been installed in Chandigarh. I am surprised that there even are 6,000-odd government buildings of the UT Administration in Chandigarh. Last year — October to December — the Chandigarh Administration was threatening residents that their land registrations would stand cancelled. Now, the government, especially the Ministry of Renewable Energy, categorically says no such instructions were ever issued by the Chandigarh Administration that people’s land registrations would be cancelled if they do not install rooftop solar plants. Who had issued these illegal, arbitrary and capricious instructions in a malicious exercise of power? This should be probed, and the officers responsible must be held accountable by the Governor of Punjab and Chandigarh Administration.”

Tewari had also sought details on the lack of a fully functional waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Chandigarh. The reply stated that litigation had stalled restructuring of the Dadumajra facility for several years. The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh is currently processing wet and dry waste into refuse-derived fuel (RDF), a recognised WTE form, and has also signed an MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. to set up a segregated organic waste-based compressed biogas plant capable of processing 230 MTD of waste.

STATE-WISE SNAPSHOT

Govt buildings equipped with solar plants (as on Oct 31, 2025)

Chandigarh: 6,606 (52.825 MW capacity)

Punjab: 4,474 (34 MW)

Haryana: 241 (4.82 MW)

Central Govt (all India): 13,525 (619.78 MW)