Chattisgarh villagers go hi-tech, cry for more power

Villagers in the remote areas of Chhattisgarh go hi-tech propelling the state government to moot a plan for increasing the capacity of solar power stations following boost in the electricity demand.

The Chhattisgarh State Renewable Development Agency (CREDA) had lit up more than 1200 villages that cannot be electrified through conventional power. These villages have been powered with solar energy with the state-run agency installing solar photovoltaic power plant.

For the last eight years, the villagers have been using the same capacity power plant even as their socio-economic condition has increased that has resulted in boosting the power demand. Even the population in the villages has increased with addition of new houses.

“As the purchasing power of the villagers have increased, they have gone hi-tech; using mobile phones, television and other electric appliances that has increased the demand of power,” a senior official with the agency said. The capacity of the plant installed in the villages is not enough to meet the demand.

The matter also came to the notice of Chief Minister Raman Singh when he paid surprise visit to a few villages during the village contact programme. Taking serious note on the issue, he has directed the officials to moot a plan and enhance the capacity of solar power plant installed in the villagers.

“The chief minister yesterday night convened a meeting of agency and energy department officials to discuss the issue,” a government spokesperson said. Singh directed the officials to take necessary step in this regard and start the work in the project as soon as possible.

The agency officials said they had prepared a preliminary report and identified 25 villages in Jashpur district to increase the capacity of solar power plant in the first phase. The project of enhancing the capacity would be taken up in phases, they added.