RK Singh, minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, launched a number of solar initiatives.
The minister inaugurated Assembly & Distribution Centre for Solar Study Lamps at Mahuli village in Arrah.
Local women Self Help Group (SHG) will assemble solar study lamps at this centre and distribute them to underprivileged students who do not have access to electricity.
This initiative is part of India Government’s scheme of providing 70 lakh solar study lamps in five states where rural household electrification levels are low.
India government is targeting to provide more than 18.84 lakh underprivileged students with solar study lamps in Bihar. The government has already supplied around 4.57 lakh solar lamps to students of the state.
The minister also laid the foundation (remotely) for a solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing plant in Sherghati block of Gaya district. This solar power plant will be owned and operated by local women Self Help Group Federations. Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (BRLPS) – Jeevika, IIT-Bombay, and the Cluster Level Federation of women self-help group members signed an agreement.
The minister also flagged off the UJALA van from Arrah. The van will travel across Bihar distributing the LED bulbs and spreading awareness about energy efficiency and energy conservation. As part of this initiative, 16000 Indian villages with a significantly large number of low income households will be able to buy LED bulbs for a special price of Rs 50 under the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) program. In Bihar, 635 villages will benefit under this program.
After the 10 lakh solar study lamp scheme, India launched a scheme for providing 70 lakh solar study lamps to students of underserved areas of five states such as Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. India is offering solar study lamps for a price of Rs 100. Energy Efficiency Services along with IIT Bombay is managing the solar scheme. They distributed over 11 lakh solar study lamps under the scheme.