More than 1,500 tribal families in various hamlets inside the forests in the districts of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar will receive solar power under a Central Government scheme.
The Centre has alloted Rs.20.74 crore for the works and the tender has been finalised but the implementation is awaiting final clearance from the Forest Department.
This came to light at the second District Electricity Committee held to discuss various power-related projects under implementation in the region.
The meeting was chaired by Pratap Simha, MP for Mysuru, and R. Dhruvanarayan, MP for Chamarajanagar, who apprised the officials of expediting the project to complete it at the earliest.
Mr. Simha said that 29 hamlets had been identified across the region and it will benefit 1,539 families across Mysuru, Chamarjanagar and Kodagu which is part of the Mysuru Parliamentary constituency.
As per the project, 357 families in Virajpet in Kodagu, 480 families in H.D. Kote and Periyapatana in Mysuru district, 156 families in Marigudipodu, Bedagulipodu and Ramayyanapodu in Chamarajanagar district, besides 546 families in Keredibba, Thuladakeri, Mandare in M.M. Hills and surrounding regions of Chamarajanagar districts will benefit from it.
Besides, tenders are yet to be invited for similar projects to benefit an additional 1433 households in these regions.
Mr. Dhruvanarayan urged the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) officials to ensure that solar power to tribal areas receive their priority as they were facing hardship in the absence of conventional power supply due to various restrictions in forests. Ensuring power supply tapping solar energy will improve their quality of life, he added.
The MPs promised to convene a meeting with Forest Department officials to get clearance for implementing the projects within the next few days.
Mr. Pratap Simha said people in rural areas complain of intermittent power cuts that results in water problem and have sought continuous power supply. Similarly, school and college-going children are affected due to power cuts as it was examination time.
Senior officials of CESC were present.
