Date:15/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/06/15/stories/2005061502781700.htm

Back Indian model for solar energy promotion hailed

Our Bureau

Dharmasthala (Dakshina Kannada) , June 14

THE first four-day South-South Redco (Rural Energy Delivery Companies) Exchange Programme began at Dharmasthala village in Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday with the international delegates favouring the Indian model, where financial institutions are involved in popularising solar energy concept in rural areas.

Mr Richard Hansen of Dominican Republic, one of the delegates at the South-South Redco Exchange Programme, said that the involvement of financial institutions has evoked a good response in India in popularising the solar energy concept in rural areas. This model can be adopted in other developing countries also, he said.

Mr Hansen congratulated Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) for exploring the services of self-help groups in popularising the concept. There is a need to explore the services of micro financial institutions to popularise this concept in other developing countries, he said.

Later addressing newspersons, Dr Harish Hande, Managing Director of SELCO (India) Pvt Ltd, said policymakers make policies without listening to the actual users.

Stating that around 1.6 billion people in the southern hemisphere are in need of power, he said the first South-South Redco Exchange Programme will come out with suggestions to popularise this non-conventional energy concept.

Instead of giving capital subsidy to solar light programme, the Government should extend interest subsidy. This will help a large section of rural poor, as the same amount will be distributed among many people.

Dr D. Veerendra Heggade, SKDRDP Chairman, who inaugurated the programme, said that there is a need to extend subsidy for installing solar units in rural areas.

The Government is spending millions of rupees in the distribution of conventional electricity and losing millions of rupees in loss of electricity while on transit. There will be a permanent solution to the power problems, if a part of this money is spent on the installation of solar units, he said.

Dr Heggade urged the Government to extend capital and interest subsidy to the solar programme.

He said the solar programme became successful in rural areas of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts due to the micro finance movement of SKDRDP.

More than 28,000 families have installed solar systems in both these districts. The value of electricity generated in these houses amounts to Rs 6.7 crore per annum, he added.

The SKDRDP Executive Director, Dr L.H. Manjunath, welcomed the gathering.

Delegates from Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, the Philippines and South Africa are attending the exchange programme.