Govt Plans To Install Solar Units on Rythu Vedhikas

 KARIMNAGAR: The state government is considering installing solar power generation units on the rooftops of Rythu Vedhikas to reduce the burden of power bills on the agriculture department.

Clearing power bills has become a burden for agriculture department officials as the government has not been releasing maintenance charges for the past four years. To address the issue, the government has decided to install solar units on the Rythu Vedhikas.

The previous BRS government constructed a Rythu Vedhika for every 5,000 acres to provide a platform for farmers to discuss new farming techniques and measures to overcome insect attacks on crops. Agriculture extension officers (AEOs) were appointed as in-charges.

Each Rythu Vedhika was provided Rs 9,000 per month for maintenance. The amount was divided among sanitation ( Rs 3,000), power bills ( Rs 1,000), stationery ( Rs 1,000), drinking water ( Rs 500), minor repairs ( Rs 1,000) and Rs 2,500 for tea, snacks and other requirements during training programmes for farmers.

Problems arose after the government stopped releasing maintenance funds over the past 48 months. Bills amounting to Rs 4.32 lakh are pending for each Rythu Vedhika, including Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 towards power bills. Agriculture extension officers are meeting the expenses from their pockets, an agriculture department source said.

As a permanent solution, the government has decided to install solar units on the Rythu Vedhikas. A 3 kW unit is likely to be installed on each rooftop. Solar fencing has also been proposed to protect the panels from monkeys, the source said.

A senior agriculture officer welcomed the proposal and said there was scope to install units of up to 10 kW, as the rooftops of the Rythu Vedhikas spread over up to 3,000 sq ft. After meeting the requirements of the Vedhikas, the remaining power could be supplied to the grid, he said.

The officer said regular cleaning of the panels would be important and people would have to be deployed for their maintenance.

The government might have finalised 3 kW units as a subsidy of Rs 78,000 is available under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. A 3 kW solar unit costs about Rs 2 lakh to install, he added.

In the erstwhile Karimnagar district, there are 258 Rythu Vedhikas, including 76 in Karimnagar, 71 in Jagtial, 57 in Rajanna-Sircilla and 54 in Peddapalli.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Jagtial District Agriculture Officer V. Bhaskar said he had learnt about the government’s proposal to install solar units through other sources. “But, they did not receive any official communication so far,” he said.