Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched the state government’s Indira Soura Giri Jala Vikasam Scheme at the Macharam village in Nagarkurnool district. The scheme aims to empower tribal farmers by providing them with free solar electricity pumps for irrigation and making them self-reliant.
The Chief Minister also released the 12-point ‘Nallamala Declaration, which contains the state government’s developmental initiatives for the tribal communities living in the forest areas.
Pilot Project at Macharam Village
The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, launched the pilot project of the Indiara Soura Giri Jala Vikasam Scheme at Macharam village.
- The pilot project will cover 45 acres of land and will benefit 45 tribal families who were persecuted during the previous K. Chandrashekhar Rao government.
- The government will provide solar pumps to every tribal farmer across the Achampet assembly constituency in 100 days.
- He also asked the state officials to prepare plans to set up solar power plants through the women’s self-help groups (SHG) so that they generate extra revenue.
About the Indira Soura Giri Jala Vikasam Scheme
Over the next five years, the scheme will cover six lakh acres of Rights of Forest Records (RoFR) lands without any electricity connection.
- The state government will provide tribal farmers holding RoFR land with free solar pumps of 5- 7.5 horsepower for irrigating horticulture crops.
- Mainly, horticulture crops are grown in these farmlands.
- The scheme aims to empower 2.1 lakh tribal farmers.
Duration of the Scheme
- The scheme's duration is five years, from 2025-26 to 2029-30.
Outlay for the Scheme
The scheme is based on a 100 % subsidy from the state government.
- The total outlay for the scheme for the next five years is Rs 13,200 crore.
- In the first year, the state government will spend Rs 600 crore to cover 27 thousand acres of land belonging to 10,000 tribal farmers.
- In the next four years, the government will spend Rs 12,600 crores.
- The unit cost of the solar pump will be Rs 6 lakhs.