Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has approved a new initiative, ‘Dweepti Yojana’, to involve rural women in the renewable energy sector and boost their economic participation.
Scheduled to run from 2026 to 2031, the project will train village women to own, operate, and maintain solar energy assets across the state. The Panchayat and Rural Development Department will supervise the program.
Under this initiative, the state will create a dedicated cadre of ‘Solar Didis’ (energy companions) at the village level. These women will receive specialized training to install, operate, and maintain solar systems, including solar mills, cold storage units, and irrigation pumps. The deployment of local technicians aims to provide a permanent solution to technical breakdowns in remote and tribal forest regions, keeping rural infrastructure functional.
The government will convert existing Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) into women-led energy cooperatives to manage these community assets. These cooperatives will act as authorized vendors and channel partners under the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana. The CLFs in Mahasamund and Bastar districts have registered as vendors for this purpose. The state will handle the bulk procurement of equipment to control costs, while the Solar Didis will manage local sales and servicing.
To make clean energy affordable, the scheme introduces ‘pay-per-use’ and ‘pay-as-you-go’ payment models for rural consumers, charging them only for the energy they consume. To ensure financial viability for these women-led enterprises, the state government has reserved 25% of all panchayat maintenance contracts for these cooperatives.
Transform Rural India provided the technical assistance to design the scheme, which will be implemented through the state’s ‘Bihan’ network. The project will engage around 2.7 lakh self-help groups across Chhattisgarh to promote clean energy and rural livelihoods.
“Rural women have always contributed significantly to the economy of Chhattisgarh,” Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said. “Through the Dweepti Yojana, we are transitioning rural women from consumers to owners and managers in the energy sector. This initiative supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a Net-Zero and Green India. Our goal is to make every village self-reliant in energy, with our Solar Didis leading the transformation. Managing modern energy systems will increase their income and provide a sustainable foundation for rural development”
Article Credit: newsriveting