Cuttack: Two remote tribal villages, Olaba and Kandakela Devabhumi, in Cuttack district’s Narsinghpur block became completely solar-powered on Tuesday. These are the first tribal villages in the state to be powered by solar energy, according to the district administration.Around 80 households in the two villages have been provided electricity through rooftop solar panel installations, ensuring complete electrification using renewable energy. The project was implemented by TP Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) and was completed within 25 days.The availability of uninterrupted solar power is expected to improve household lighting, education, healthcare services and livelihood activities, while also reducing electricity expenses.Collector (Cuttack) Dattatreya Bhausaheb Shinde said “Bringing clean and reliable power to remote tribal villages is a crucial step towards social equity. These villages will now serve as a model of energy self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability for other regions to follow,” said Shinde.For each solar panel installation, the central govt provided a subsidy of Rs 30,000, while the state govt contributed Rs 25,000. “The remaining beneficiary contribution was borne by the district administration under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) from which Rs 10 lakh has been spent on this project,” said Shinde.The initiative has been specifically implemented for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families to ensure equitable access to reliable electricity. Apart from improving living standards, the project is also expected to promote awareness about renewable energy and encourage similar interventions in other remote pockets of the district.“We welcome the initiative. The power supply would create new opportunities in education, skill development and income generation,” said Rajura Munda of Narasinghpur village.
