The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has received Presidential sanction for the implementation of a new solar power scheme to be implemented in tribal areas.
The scheme with an approved financial outlay of Rs.515 crore will cover PVTG (particularly vulnerable tribal groups) habitations and villages under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Abhiyan (PM JANMAN). The implementation period of the scheme will be from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
The scheme will cover electrification of 1 lakh un-electrified households in PVTG areas identified by Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and located in 18 states and one Union Territory.
Electrification will be provided by off-grid solar systems where electricity supply through grid is not techno-economically feasible. The scheme also provides for solar lighting in 1,500 multipurpose centres (MPC) in PVTG areas where electricity through grid is not available.
Coverage
The new scheme will cover the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and the UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Financial outlay
The first component of the scheme includes provision of 0.3kW solar off-grid systems for 1 lakh PVTG households with a total outlay of Rs.500 crore (@Rs.50,000 per household). The second part, with an outlay of Rs.15 crore, will cover solar streetlights and provision of solar lighting in 1,500 MPCs of PVTG areas (@Rs.1,00,000 per MPC).
Fund allocation
The funds for implementation of this scheme would be met from the DAPST (Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes) allocation of MNRE with an overall approved outlay of Rs.515 crore. A separate budget line “PM JANMAN” has been opened for the purpose. The year-wise fund allocation would be:
Effective date
The implementation of the scheme will come into effect from the date of issue of administrative approval along with issuance of implementation guidelines.
Comprehensive scheme
The Rs.515-crore for solar lighting discussed in this story is part of a comprehensive Rs.24,104-crore programme aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of PVTGs. The programme, cleared by the Union Cabinet in November 2023, also touches upon provision of pucca houses, connecting roads, piped water supply, etc. The overall programme will be implemented through nine Union ministries.
PVTG
As per the 2011 Census, India has a population of 10.45 crore Scheduled Tribes. Included here are 75 communities – spread over 18 states and 1 UT (listed above) – that have been categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). These PVTGs continue to face vulnerability in social, economic and educational fields.
