Bhadrak: Two talented youths of Bhadrak – Prakash Chandra Ghadei and Raj Upadhaya – hit the headlines in April 2017 when they developed a solar-powered scooter.
It seems that is history. For, the two mechanical engineers who graduated in 2016 have not received any government support to carry on their research and development on their idea. Odia daily Dharitri and English daily Orissa POST had carried their story then.
After media reports, a three-member Central tem had met the duo, then students of Baripada Engineering College. The three members – Umesh Sribastav, P Shaktidev and Devi Prasad Satpathy — from the R & D wing of Haryana-based Indian Oil Corporation Limited met Upadhaya and Ghadei and got a thorough knowledge of all innovative and functional aspects of the solar-powered scooter mechanism -– structural style, special features, solar panel functioning and several other technical things like BLDC variation motors and MPPT control.
However, no help was provided to the two by the Central and state governments.
Meanwhile, the youths have got special certificate for their innovative idea from the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (IED) under the MSME Department.
It’s a pity that the two have not been given special funds under Odisha Youth Innovation Fund to further their research and development on their innovation despite the fact that they are not financially sound enough to carry on their research on their own.
The Oil and Natural Gas Ministry has been batting for reducing dependency on fossil fuels and promoting use of unconventional energy like solar power in automobile and other sectors. But the ministry has not come forward to lend a helping hand to the youths. Both have admitted that funds crunch is a major hurdle in making the solar-powered scooter a reality.
PNN
