Kathmandu: Village Ratanpur in District Nawalparasi has started getting electricity using one of the most modern and environmentally clean sources. This project was implemented with assistance from the Indian Government. Under the scheme, 476 homes in village Ratanpur in District Nawalparasi have started receiving light from the home lighting systems using solar electrification. Each of these homes will receive a solar panel, a maintenance free battery and home lighting system of 75 Watts, consisting of 4 lighting instruments of 12 Watts each. The total cost of solar electrification village, i.e. NRs 22.58 million, has been provided as grant-in-aid by the Government of India. Approximately 4800 people will benefit from this programme. This has been the third year running when a solar electrification project has been successfully executed.
The project was executed by Central Electronics Ltd., Ghaziabad, a Public Sector Undertaking of Government of India, in close coordination with Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) under the Ministry of Science & Technology of HMGN. In the execution of this project, the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti (Village Consumer Committee) was specifically constituted and involved in all stages of project planning and implementation. For subsequent maintenance and upkeep of these systems, a pool of six to eight trained personnel from amongst the villagers, has been created by imparting training to them by a technician from Central Electronics Ltd. In addition, a corpus has been created by local contribution, which has been invested in the local banks, and its interest will be utilized for subsequent maintenance of the system. Management of the corpus fund will be the responsibility of the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti constituted to oversee this project.
The project was formally inaugurated and handed over by Colonel George Mathai, Defence Attache, Embassy of India to the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti at Village Ratanpur, District Nawalparasi with great fanfare and enthusiasm of the people of the village. Local officials of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal were also present on this occasion.