Raipur
The Chhattisgarh government has launched a new initiative, ‘Dweepti Yojana’, aimed at strengthening the participation of rural women in the renewable energy sector while promoting sustainable livelihoods across the state. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has approved the scheme, which will be implemented from 2026 to 2031 under the supervision of the Panchayat and Rural Development Department.
The initiative seeks to train village women to own, operate and maintain solar energy infrastructure at the grassroots level. As part of the programme, the state will create a cadre of ‘Solar Didis’ at the village level who will be trained in the installation, operation and maintenance of solar-powered systems, including solar mills, cold storage facilities and irrigation pumps.
Officials said the availability of trained local women technicians is expected to provide a long-term solution to technical failures in remote and tribal forest regions, ensuring uninterrupted functioning of rural energy infrastructure.
Under the scheme, existing Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) will be transformed into women-led energy cooperatives responsible for managing community energy assets. These cooperatives will function as authorised vendors and channel partners under the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana. CLFs from Mahasamund and Bastar districts have already been registered as vendors under the initiative.
The state government will undertake bulk procurement of solar equipment to reduce costs, while Solar Didis will oversee local distribution, maintenance and servicing activities.
To make renewable energy accessible in rural areas, the scheme will introduce ‘pay-per-use’ and ‘pay-as-you-go’ models, allowing consumers to pay only for the energy they use. In a bid to strengthen the financial sustainability of these women-led enterprises, the government has also reserved 25 per cent of panchayat maintenance contracts for the cooperatives formed under the scheme.
The programme has been designed with technical assistance from Transform Rural India and will be implemented through the state’s ‘Bihan’ network. Around 2.7 lakh self-help groups across Chhattisgarh are expected to participate in promoting clean energy adoption and rural livelihood generation.
“Rural women have always contributed significantly to the economy of Chhattisgarh. Through the Dweepti Yojana, we are transforming them from consumers into owners and managers in the energy sector,” Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said.
He added that the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Net-Zero and Green India and aims to make villages self-reliant in energy while creating sustainable income opportunities for women.
