AMPATI: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the Solar Study Lamp Project at Betasing C&RD Block in South West Garo Hills on Tuesday.
The project will provide affordable, safe and clean source of light to rural students and livelihood opportunities to local communities.
Local MLA Miani D Shira was also present at the function.
The project is a joint venture of the Solar Urja Through Localisation for Sustainability (SoULS), IIT Bombay and Meghalaya State Rural Livelihood Society under National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and is being implemented for the first time in Meghalaya under the initiative of South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ramkumar S.
Under this project, 12 selected women self-help groups are being trained in assembling and management of solar study lamps by the team from IIT Bombay in collaboration with District Mission Management Unit, South West Garo Hills.
The assembled lamps will be distributed to school children at a subsidised rate of Rs100 per unit and three-fourth of the proceeds will go to the SHGs as seed money.
Altogether 18,000 solar study lamps will be assembled by these SHGs during the training programme.
Stating that the biggest challenge for the government is providing employment, the local MLA expressed her happiness that many women and mothers were being involved in the project “which will benefit them greatly”.
“For the first time in their lives, the womenfolk are being empowered to handle something technical as such and you can see the joy in them which is priceless,” said Sangma.
