Zilla Parishad Schools in Nagpur to Get Solar Upgradation

The upgrade includes solar power set up to be integrated in the schools. It will not only fulfill the energy needs of the schools but also make them self-reliant. This is besides having the digital classrooms.

Under the new ‘Integrated Digital Classroom’ (IDC) around 300 Zilla Parishad schools in Nagpur will be upgraded this year. The tender for the project is expected to come up by the end of this month.

The upgrade includes solar power set up to be integrated in the schools. It will not only fulfill the energy needs of the schools but also make them self-reliant. This is besides having the digital classrooms.

The funding for the upgradation project will come from District Mineral Fund (DMF) and the Zilla Parishad will not have to spend anything from their budget.

“We have released Rs10 crore as a onetime fund for this project and the ZP will take it forward. The District Mineral Fund’s corpus is created through royalties from various mining operations in the vicinity. So, we get 30% from major minerals like coal and manganese, and 10% for minor minerals,” Dristrict Mining Officer Shriram Kadu.

This is not first time Zilla Parishad schools have been upgraded with digital classrooms. Earlier, NGOs and some companies through their corporate social responsibility fund have funded the projects of these kinds.

However, the addition of solar power has made this project unique and different from earlier projects. The plan to make schools self-reliant has set an example for others.

“While the money is coming from District Mineral Fund, ZP will be the implementing authority. We will be selecting between 200-300 schools and digital boards with latest software will be installed,” said district’s education officer Dipendra Lokhande.

“Also the solar power set up will ensure that schools do not have to worry about keeping tabs on the electricity meter anymore,” he further added.

Source: ET