Monday, July 08, 2013: UP state government has approved Rs 400 million to install solar powered street lights in the state. Jawed Usmani, the Chief secretary of the state asked officials of the UP New Energy Development Authority (UPNEDA) to ensure that Centre grants another Rs 290 million for the scheme. During a review meeting, he said, the LED type street lights will be installed in different districts of Uttar Pradesh as well as in around 2,000 Lohia grams.
Overall, more than 11,100 solar street lights will now be installed during the financial year 2013-14. Usmani asked UPNEDA officials to oversee that government orders pertaining to finances, associated subsidies and policy decisions are put in place.
Usmani also advised officials to link up maintenance of the street lights with the skill development scheme. To do so, he asked UPNEDA to coordinate with the department of technical education in the state. However, in the rural areas, coordination should happen with the department of Panchayati Raj, which will be responsible to maintain the lights from the funds granted to it under the 13th finance commission.
According to the Principal secretary (additional energy), Jeevesh Nandan 21 districts have been selected for remote village electrification programme. The programme will be conducted under the Solar Street Light Scheme in these districts: Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Mainpuri, Hardoi, Bareilly, Banda, Barabanki, Basti, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur, Hamirpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Jalaun, Kanpur, Faizabad, Gonda, Firozabad, Shravasti, Balrampur and Maharajganj.
