Cuttack/Badamba: Two tribal dominated villages under Narsinghpur block in Cuttack district have become the first fully solar-powered villages of the state following the project’s inauguration Thursday.
This has been achieved under the Centre-sponsored PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. These villages were identified as Mundia Sahi in Olaba panchayat and Kandha Devabhumi village under Debabhuin panchayat of Narsinghpur block. A total of 76 families, including 47 in Mundia Sahi and 29 in Kandha Devabhuin villages will receive free electricity through solar panel installations.
The solar panels have been installed by TPCODL, through which the villages have been completely electrified using renewable solar energy. Badamba MLA Bijaya Kumar Dalabehera inaugurated the power supply in the presence of Cuttack Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, Athagarh Sub-Collector Prahllad Narayan Sharma, TPCODL authorities and other officials.
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With this development, villagers will be able to avail all electricity-based facilities without dependence on conventional power supply. The entire installation work has been completed successfully within a span of approximately 25 days. For each solar panel installation, the Central government provided a subsidy of Rs 30,000, while the state government contributed Rs 25,000.
The remaining beneficiary contribution has been borne by the district administration with funds available from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). This initiative has been specifically implemented for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families to ensure equitable access to reliable electricity. The availability of uninterrupted solar power will improve living standards by supporting household lighting, education, healthcare, and livelihood activities. It will also significantly reduce electricity expenses for beneficiary families while promoting energy self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability.
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