Saturday, August 02, 2014: Taking the green energy way, Odisha government is now going to initiate a pilot project on solar power for its villages. The government has reportedly asked the the district collectors to identify at least 25 un-electrified villages in which solar power can be provided. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also suggested that the state government should launch a pilot scheme on electrification in villages through solar energy.
According to the scheme, every house in at least two villages in every Lok Sabha constituency will be provided with a solar PV based home system. Each household will get about 100-200 watt peak solar PV system, that can be used to light 3-5 LED lights, 1-2 fans and for running other small appliances. The estimated cost of each system will be Rs 50,000.
In the project, MNRE will fund 60 per cent of the cost, while the state government has been requested to provide 30 per cent subsidy. The remaining 10 per cent will be borne by the beneficiary, Science and Technology Secretary Surendra Kumar said in a letter to the Collectors.
The official has instructed the district collectors to identify at least 25 un-electrified villages/hamlets in their respective districts, where they feel that the need to provide power is urgent. Kumar reportedly said, “Each village/hamlet may have 100 or more households. In case, such households are not available, clusters of villages/hamlets with 100 or more households can also be selected.”
