Approved by the President of India, the Central government has greenlit solar energy initiatives totaling ₹24,104 crore. These projects are specifically aimed at bringing electricity to households within Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) spread across 18 states. This directive, outlined in the latest mandate from the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, forms an integral component of the Prime Minister’s Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN). This investment reflects the aim of the central Government toward achieving the goal of providing sustainable and equitable energy access to all communities.
Prime Minister Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) is a governmental campaign aimed at promoting justice and comprehensive development among tribal communities in India. This initiative seeks to address the socio-economic disparities prevalent among indigenous populations by providing tailored support, encompassing access to education, healthcare, infrastructure, and livelihood opportunities. Through strategic interventions and targeted policies, PM JANMAN endeavors to empower and uplift tribal communities, ensuring their integration into the broader developmental framework of the nation while honoring their unique cultural heritage and traditional knowledge systems.
According to the ministry’s official announcement, describing the financial aspects, the central government has allocated a substantial investment amounting to ₹15,336 crore, while the states’ contribution totals ₹8,768 crore. The strategic initiative is slated to unfold across a span of three years, encompassing the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26, with the primary objective of furnishing off-grid solar power setups to households in tribal communities inhabiting remote regions where conventional electricity infrastructure remains unfeasible. A total of ₹515 crore has been committed for a span of three fiscal years, starting with ₹20 crore allocated for the fiscal year 2023-24. Subsequent to this, ₹255 crore and ₹240 crore have been allotted for the ensuing years, culminating in a comprehensive financial commitment spanning across this three-year period.
The project blueprint delineates its scope encompassing the deployment of 0.3 kW solar off-grid systems valued at ₹50,000 per household, alongside the implementation of solar street lighting and illumination provisions for 1,500 Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) situated in regions where access to the conventional power grid is limited. The allocated financial resources for these particular facets of the initiative stand at ₹500 crore designated for the solar systems and ₹15 crore for enhancing lighting infrastructure within the MPCs.
