HYDERABAD: Women self help groups (SHG) in the state will be empowered, literally. The state government has decided to entrust the responsibility to generate solar power in the state to women SHGs.
The Panchayat Raj department submitted a proposal to the Energy department on Friday, requesting allocation of solar power plants of 1,000 MW capacity to SHGs. However, the Energy department sprang a pleasant surprise, with Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka directing officials to take steps to ensure that women SHGs get the chance to generate the entire 4,000 MW solar power as planned by the state government.
The deputy chief minister, at a meeting here at Praja Bhavan, directed the officials to guide the SHG women in land acquisition and taking loans from banks to establish solar power plants. The Energy department will take lands on lease basis and hand them over to SHGs to set up the solar power plants. Bankers too indicated that they were willing to give loans to SHGs, as their repayment rate was up to 99%.
Earlier in the day, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D Anasuya (Seethakka) wrote to the Energy department to allow women to generate 1,000 MW solar power.
She proposed that the Panchayat Raj department would identify lands, take them on lease basis and hand them over to SHGs, if the Energy department was willing to allow women to set up solar power plants.
The estimated cost for each 1 MW capacity solar power plant is Rs 3 crore.
SHGs to contribute 10% of cost, banks to loan the rest
The proposal is that the SHGs will contribute 10% of the cost and take the remaining 90% as loan from banks. The Panchayat Raj department informed that if the Energy department accorded permission, then the women SHGs will install solar power plants within one week. The department estimated that the women would get around `30 lakh income per year on 1 MW solar power plant.
It may be recalled that the government has already launched the Indira Mahila Sakthi scheme to empower women. The Panchayat Raj department identified 17 businesses, in which SHG women will be involved. The government has already given work orders like stitching of school uniforms, Mahila Sakthi canteen etc to women groups. The department is also planning to give RTC buses to women groups.