UP Women Make Solar Lamps for Kids Facing Power Cuts in Rural Parts

In our country, rural areas suffer the most because of power cuts. Activities which require a regular flow of electricity, such as studying or cooking indoors, especially at night, are plagued by disruptions. A little relief from such problems has arrived as the Uttar Pradesh Government has launched a project to manufacture and distribute solar lamps to children in rural areas of the state at low costs.

With the help of the government and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund, women in rural UP, belonging to self-help groups, are making solar lamps. These solar lamps are being made available to school children by the government for Rs 100 per piece while the same are being sold for Rs 500 per piece in the market.

As part of the Prerna Ojas Programme of Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (Rural Development Department), this initiative helps women of self-help groups to become independent and socially and economically empowered. Over 35 women from 18 groups were selected to receive training in manufacturing cheaper solar lamps and selling them, while a unit was set up at Paraunkh village of President Ram Nath Kovind in the first phase of the Prerna Ojas program.

In the past, the UP government has distributed 28 lakh solar lamps made by 4,000 women to school children across 30 districts.

Interestingly, earlier in March, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), had invited bids for seeking private participation on a revenue-sharing basis for distributing 10 million LED Lamps under its Gram Ujala program.

CESL expects to obtain 70 lakh 12-Watt LED lamps for Rs 75 per bulb and 30 lakh 7-Watt lamps for Rs 42 for a bulb. The company said it will guarantee payment of 50 percent of the last discovered price, giving private companies assurance of a floor price. The company announced that under this program it will distribute high-quality LED lamps at an affordable cost in rural areas.