PANAJI
As many as 63 villages of Goa will compete against each other to be the Model Solar Village, who will be eligible for Central grants of Rs 1 crore towards promoting solar energy adoption and enable village communities to become self-reliant in energy needs.
Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) – the nodal agency for implementing the green energy initiatives in the State – has shortlisted 40 villages in North Goa and 23 in South Goa, with a population size of more than 5,000 as per the last Census data, as potential candidate villages, who would be in competitive mode for a period of six months, once State government grants approval.
Goa government has set a target of June 30, 2025, to ensure maximum renewable energy installation in the selected villages.
“After the six-month long competition period, the implementing agency will carry out an assessment exercise to assess the overall distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity deployed within the village boundary of each potential candidate village. Such distributed RE capacity would consist of rooftop solar installations, ground mounted small scale RE under PM KUSUM or standalone RE installations of capacity less than 10 MW at a single site,” sources said.
Sources said that as per the Central guidelines, the village with the highest capacity (cumulative) in the village boundary shall be chosen as the Model Solar Village for that district.
The Central government has set a target of one village in each district of the country that would be developed as a model solar village under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The village which wins the competition will get cash reward of Rs 1 crore for development of solar-energy infrastructure.
The prime objective of the scheme is to promote green and clean energy access to electricity in the villages and to empower village communities to become more self-reliant in meeting their energy needs and help them save money on energy bills by generating electricity locally and reducing reliance on utility companies.
The shortlisted villages in North Goa includes – Corgao, Dargalim, Tivim, Chorao, Ella, Carambolim, Latambarcem, Mayem, Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Siolim, Girim, Anjuna, Calangute, Saligao, Candolim, Nerul, Reis Magos, Pilerne, Penha-de-Franca, Salvador-do-Mundo, Socorro, Aldona, Corlim, Chimbel, Murda, Calapor, Bambolim, Carapur, Pale, Onda, Kandola, Marcaim, Priol, Bandora, Curti, Quela, Borim and Usgao.
In South the villages include – Betora, Siroda, Dabolim, Loutolim, Velim, Cola, Painguinim, Chicalim, Sancoale, Cortalim, Verna, Nuvem, Raia, Curtorim, Sao Jose de Areal, Davorlim, Aquem, Navelim, Benaulim, Varca, Chinchinim, Xeldem and Sanvordem.
