Agartala, March 12 (IANS): The Tripura government would provide 6,00,000 environment-friendly Solar Study Lamps (SSL) to students for sustainable illumination to aid poor school children in their education, officials said on Thursday.
According to the official of Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) in the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) sponsored SSL scheme, 80 per cent of the fund was borne by the central government and the remaining by the state government.
"We are taking a token amount of Rs 10 only from the beneficiary student. In the first phase we would provide the SSL to 3,00,000 poor students and in the second phase we would supply additional 3,00,000 SSL".
"The state government had already approached the MNRE to sanction more 3,00,000 SSL for the northeastern state, whereas some tribal and remote villages grid supply electricity not ensured for 24X7," TREDA Director General and CEO Mahananda Debbarma told IANS.
Tripura's Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, who holds the Power, Finance and Rural Development Departments, on Wednesday, initiated the supply of SSL at a function at Bishramganj in western Tripura.
Mahananda Debbarma said that the SSL scheme offers affordable and environmentally sustainable illumination to aid school students in their education in the fastest and most effective manner.
"Besides education, the scheme's other objective is to economically empower women and, most importantly, curb kerosene dependency and stop pollution indoors."
The TREDA chief said that the solar lamp also reduces school dropouts and protect the health of children and their families. Villagers in many remote and tribal areas use costly and environmentally harmful kerosene oil for lighting lamp in the absence of electricity.
"Kerosene not only contribute to household costs and cause high levels of indoor pollution, but considering their per unit cost of lighting, are highly inefficient for the brightness and range of light they provide."
"The solar study lamp is strictly for schools and students in interior villages," said the official of TREDA, which is Tripura's nodal agency for implementing new and renewable energy projects in the state.