Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav directed officers to install photo-voltaic contraptions in identified state-run schools so that students could avail facilities of fans and RO water.
“This is the responsibility of officials at the district level to ensure installations of photo-voltaic contraptions. If the government cannot provide power through conventional methods, it will look for non-conventional methods,” the CM said.
A government spokesman said on Wednesday that over 95 per cent primary schools out of 1.41 lakh schools across UP are in rural areas. The government wants children should get good environment including pure drinking water. “Therefore directives were issued to install 1.1 kv solar power plants in schools in a phased manner,” he said.
As a pilot project this scheme was implemented in 112 schools in 2014-15 spread across Gorakhpur, lucknow, Ghaziabad, Kannauj, Sonebhadra and Etawah. In 2015-16, the scheme will be implemented in 200 schools of Hamirpur, Mahoba, Chitrakoot, Banda, Jhansi, lalitpur, Jalaun and Auraiya.
The government has decided to take up 100 more schools in the next phase.
The spokesman said that the implementing agency will be responsible for the maintenance of these contraptions for the next five years.