Union Cabinet Nods for 3 lakh Solar Street Lights in NE States, Maoist Affected Areas

Prasad said that 3,00,000 solar street lights will be installed throughout the country with special emphasis on areas where there is no facility for street lighting systems through grid power, northeastern states, and Maoist-affected districts.

In order to light up the streets of northeastern states and Maoist affected districts, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday has approved Rs 637 crore central government assistance for solar power plants, solar street lights, and solar study lamps to be installed in the areas.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the third phase of Off-grid and Decentralised Solar PV (Photo Voltaic) Applications Programme to achieve additional 118 MW (megawatt peak) off-grid solar PV capacity by 2020, an official statement said, citing Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Prasad said that 3,00,000 solar street lights will be installed throughout the country with special emphasis on areas where there is no facility for street lighting systems through grid power, northeastern states, and Maoist-affected districts.

In the areas where grid power has not reached or is not reliable the second component of the program would come with the standalone solar power plants of the individual size up to 25 KW.

“This component is mainly aimed at providing electricity to schools, hostels, panchayats, police stations and other public service institutions. The aggregated capacity of solar power plants would be 100 MWp,” Prasad said.

Further, 25 lakh solar study lamps would be distributed to students in the northeastern states and Maoist-affected districts, the minister added.

The total project of the three components included under the phase-Ill, which is likely to generate 8.67 lakh man-days of employment for skilled and unskilled workers, is Rs 1,895 crore of which Rs 637 crore will be provided as central financial assistance.

“For solar study lamps only 15 percent of the lamp cost to be borne by beneficiary student and balance will be provided as financial support as such systems will be provided to school going children in backward and remote areas,” the statement said.