The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Tribal women to sell power

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Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Tribal women to sell power

Special Correspondent

NEW BEGINNING: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy is all smiles as he holds a bow and arrow during the signing of the MoU in Hyderabad on Tuesday. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: In a path-breaking experiment, tribal women from the agency areas of East Godavari district signed MoUs with two Government agencies in the presence of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy here on Tuesday to sell electricity from three mini hydel projects being constructed by Girijans.

The projects have been taken up across hill-streams at Vetamamidi, Pinjarikonda, and Metlapalem, each with a capacity of 1.20 MW and at a cost of Rs 6 crores.

This is part of a policy to plough back such income to the tribals instead of encouraging private developers.

These projects are expected to generate 40 lakh units of power annually, fetching a revenue of Rs 1.5 crore to the tribals who will "manage, operate and maintain" them. Already, 20 tribals, mostly women, have been trained for each project to operate the powerhouse.

Panels formed

Baluvu Satyavathi, Mamidi Varalakshmi and Madakam Lakshmi, all school dropouts but literate, who have been made presidents of the project committees formed by the Government with tribals, signed the MoUs with the Discom and the Andhra Pradesh Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation. These committees function under Andhra Pradesh Tribal Power Company Limited. Projects are on anvil to tap 76 more such "potential locations".

Tribal women presented a bow and arrow to Dr. Reddy. As he took aim, he said he was targeting removal of darkness prevailing in agency villages.

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