Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the state assembly the adoption of a Solar Micro-Grid model to provide electricity to remote villages in Melghat. Instead of individual solar units for each house, a high-capacity solar project will establish a microgrid, distributing electricity generated with battery storage to every household. The initiative addresses the challenge of supplying electricity to villages in dense forest reserve areas where traditional power grids are impractical.
Efforts to electrify villages in Melghat faced obstacles in the past due to a lack of permission from the Forest Department. Fadnavis highlighted the previous attempt to provide individual solar systems under the ‘Saubhagya’ scheme in 2018, which faced maintenance challenges in the remote terrain. The government has completed solar micro-grid work in two villages, with ongoing projects in five villages through NGO initiatives, and tender processes finalized for four more villages.
The Chief Minister also addressed the Mukhyamantri Baliraja Free Electricity Scheme, specifying that it applies to farmers using up to 7.5 Horsepower (HP). Responding to concerns raised by MLA Satyajeet Deshmukh about farmers in Shirala taluka, Fadnavis clarified that those exceeding the HP limit cannot benefit from the scheme. Efforts to provide relief to farmers facing high electricity bills continue, with a special independent rate in place for high-consumption consumers.
