Solar street lighting for Haryana villages

Chandigarh, Apr 28 (UNI) The Haryana government has launched a first of its kind project for electrifying the streets of several villages of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts having 50 per cent or more Scheduled Castes population by installing 1489 solar street lighting systems at a total cost of Rs 3.82 crore.

As many as 10 villages of Panchkula, 67 villages of Ambala and 112 villages of Yamunanagar would be covered under this programme being implemented by the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) with financial assistance from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Haryana Deputy chief minister Chander Mohan said.

He said that Village Energy Committee had been formed to ensure people's participation in running and maintaining these systems and draw plans and proposals for promotion of renewable energy devices/technologies in the villages.

Haryana is the first state in the country to introduce such people's participation in renewable energy programmes, he added.

These Village Energy Committees would be headed by the Sarpanch of the village and the other members of the committee would be School Teacher residing in village, ITI trained technician from the village, Retired Government Official, Gram Sachiv and any other panch of the village.

The committee would maintain the systems after expiry of the maintenance contract of the Renewable Energy devices installed on the community basis in the village.

Mr Chander Mohan said the committee would also decide to meet the expenditure either from Panchayat funds or through Chullah tax or by self contribution from the residents.

UNI