Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Nov 16: Ramon Magsaysay awardee, and managing director of Selco-India, Harish Hande, stressed that getting solar power installed is not a costly alternative, if one considers the rising price of kerosene. He felt that 52 percent of people of the country are deprived of power because of the problems associated with getting finance for solar power installation from financial institutions. He felt that the recent initiatives of the financial institutions for inclusive financing will go a long way in removing this anomaly.
Dr Hande was speaking at a programme of interaction organized by Udupi District Working Journalists Association here on Tuesday November 15. Noting that Malabar Grameena Bank was the first to extend finance for solar power, he predicted that India will top the list of countries using renewable sources of energy in future. He explained about the initiatives undertaken by his concern to eradicate poverty and spread light.
He felt that the yawning gap between the targeted utilization of solar power and miserable state of affairs on performance front seen at present stems from the fact that people who do not have any knowledge about the sector or practical problems, sit at New Delhi and draft schemes. He preferred to call this group as ‘Delhi Mafia’. He felt that there is an urgent need to resort to renewable energy sources like organic gas, wind power or solar power, as stock of coal is hard to procure, and coal reserves are getting exhausted fast.
He expressed himself strongly against the people who get education out of taxes paid by common people, and then migrate to foreign countries. He recollected that Arvind Kejriwal, a member of Anna Hazare’s core team, was his classmate at Kharagpur IIT. Hande believes that poverty is the root cause for all the problems, while Kejriwal thinks the main problem is corruption.
President of the organization, Kiran Manjanabail, presided. Secretary, Jayakar Suvarna, welcomed. Treasurer, Umesh Marpalli, proposed vote of thanks.