In what could be a boon for rural Uttar Pradesh, which is reeling under a serious power shortage, remote villages in the state will soon be illuminated, thanks to the Centre?s solar home lightning scheme. The regional rural banks (RRBs) can take the initiative to promote the scheme and provide micro finance for the installation of the solar panels in the villages.
?The scheme will not only electrify the remotest of villages but also will minimise the use of kerosene for a nominal monthly instalment of Rs 250 that the bank will charge villagers. This is almost the same as the amount that any villager spends on kerosene,? said Arvind Kumar, the senior project officer of UPNEDA.
The Centre had earlier floated a direct subsidy to banks to promote the use of solar power; now it has been made incentive-based. Under the scheme, three branches of a rural bank with a good track record in loan disbursement will get a cash reward of Rs 3-10 lakh and the gram sabha which successfully illuminates all the homes through solar lightning will also get a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh.
?Village committees can use the reward money in installing solar street lights at public places or buy additional equipment,? said the Kumar. Of the national target of solar power to 2.5 lakh homes, UP alone shares 1 lakh homes.
?Already, 30,000 homes in the state are already using solar power and the two rural banks that have shown good results in disbursing loans in the state are the Aryavrat Bank, Allahabad, and the Prathima Bank, Moradabad,? said Kumar.