J&K: 100 Tribal Villages to Achieve Self-Sufficiency with RE

J&K: 100 Tribal Villages to Achieve Self-Sufficiency with RE

In a bid to push renewable energy in the rural parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the state government has decided to provide 100% green energy to 100 tribal villages. The local administration recently held a meeting in this regard to identify these 100 tribal villages in the region. The initiative is a part of the government Tribal Sub-Plan (2024-25).

Commissioner-Secretary Science & Technology (S&T) Department, Saurabh Bhagat chaired the meeting attended by the Deputy Commissioners, Chief Executive Officer of Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA), officers from the Science & Technology Department, and JAKEDA to discuss the plan. 

Earlier, at the third National Conference of Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that states/UTs should take up the challenge of having 100 villages in each state/UT powered 100% renewable energy. 

By providing 100 per cent access to renewable energy to these tribal villages, the scheme aims to extend benefits such as access to electricity, improved quality of life, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability to these tribal communities.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of the, where the Prime Minister suggested that addressing the officers, the Commissioner Secretary highlighted that achieving 100% renewable energy coverage in tribal villages will bring significant benefits, including access to electricity, improved quality of life, health and safety, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

The PM called the officers to work in mission mode for the successful implementation of this scheme and achieve 100% saturation. The Commissioner Secretary advised all Deputy Commissioners to fully utilize the current Swachata Pakhwada by distributing solar home lights and biomass cookstoves free of cost and to aim to saturate one tribal village with renewable energy intervention in their respective districts.

During the meeting, the Commissioner Secretary informed that JAKEDA and the S&T Department plan to provide Biomass portable cookstoves and solar home lighting systems to tribal families free of cost. These will be fully funded by JAKEDA. He added that under a partially funded scheme, JAKEDA will also provide Solar agriculture pumping systems under the PM-KUSUM scheme of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), which entails an 80 per cent subsidy with the beneficiary covering 20 per cent of the remaining cost.

The solarization of existing Agriculture Pumping Systems under PM-KUSUM Component-C also includes an 80 per cent subsidy, as well as solar rooftop power plants under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which offers a subsidy of Rs 94,800 up to 3 kW and Bio-Gas plants with a subsidy of Rs 22,000 per plant.

Moreover, JAKEDA will install Solar Street Lighting Systems in these villages identified by the district administration under contribution funding.