New Delhi Indian Railways plans to appoint farmers as maintenance operators of Traction Substations (TSAs) in arid regions of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh that act as power feeders for railway lines.
The scheme will be launched in those parts of the country which do not have cultivable land and is part of the government’s efforts to double farm income. Initially, an initial capacity of 50 MW will be offered to farmers in these three states, followed by 15 GW of substation capacity to farmers across the country.
Out of 64,689 route km of broad gauge network of Indian Railways, 71% has been electrified and the national transporter is looking at 100% electrification by December 2023. According to a senior official, farmers will be given the option to retain TSA, their solar panels and other equipment at a fee of around 20-30 paise per unit.
“This will help to more than double the income of farmers” 1 lakh per acre from present 30,000-40,000 per acre they get in those areas. This will be a win-win for both as the farmer will get better income and TSA of Railways will get proper maintenance,” said the official.
gulveen.aulakh@livemint.com