After starting the pilot Solar Lighting project in Khamkhera village, the initiative now expands to Durganagar impacting lives of local citizens
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India,November 21, 2013: Padma Bhushan Awardee and HCL Founder, Shri Ajai Chowdhry in an initiative to give back to the city of Jabalpur where he was born and grew up inaugurated a Solar Lighting Project here. Started with a pilot project in Khamkhera village of Margada Gram Panchayat near Bargi Hydel Power Station, the scope of this initiative has now been expanded to Durganagar village in Shahpura Block, Jabalpur district. In all, this programe has changed the lives of close to five hundred residents as a start by bringing electricity to their homes and villages.
This initiative started in Khamkhera last year, has been brought to Durganagar village, which is about an hour and half away from Jabalpur city, with the inauguration of the first solar lamp in the village today. Touching the lives of 300-350 residents of this village, the initiative has brought light to the streets and the 80 odd huts in the village. Five street lights and two LED solar lamps have been installed per house, one in the kitchen and the other to illuminate the rest of the house, giving the residents a new lease of life.
In Khamkhera, three solar lights were installed in every house in the village along with large LED Solar lamps at the Chowpal. Covering over 30 huts in Khamkhera, residents of the village for the last year or so have been reaping the benefits of having access to electricity in their homes brought by these solar powered lamps installed as part of the initiative.
Speaking at the inauguration in Durganangar Village, Mr. Ajai Chowdhry
said, “Today is a very special day for me as I take a step closer towards my dream of contributing a positive change to my hometown. Whether it was supporting Jabalpur Engineering College, my Alma Mater with a state of the art auditorium or inaugurating this solar lighting project for the benefit of local citizens of Khamkhera and now Durganagar village in Jabalpur district, I will continue to give back to the society that made me. The city of Jabalpur has contributed immensely to my personal and professional growth through all these years that I studied and spent here. I am really happy today to humbly contribute back to this city in whatever way I can.”
These Solar lighting projects have been implemented with the help of Shri Rajnikant Yadav, a prominent social worker and a school friend of Mr. Chowdhry. The programe has been built on a completely self sustaining model with local mechanics in both villages being involved in the installation process and specially trained to maintain the solar lamps themselves. Another positive initiative that started with this project is the saving of Rs. 7 per hut per day which the residents would otherwise have spent on kerosene they needed to fuel their lamps until today. Villagers can easily use this fund thus generated for repair and maintenance if and when needed for their solar lamps making them completely self reliant.
Earlier last year, giving back to Jabalpur Engineering College (JEC), ‘Jashan’, a modern auditorium was inaugurated with the support of Mr. Ajai Chowdhry. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 280 and features like audio-visual surround sound, central air-conditioning, aesthetically designed public areas and green room. This contribution was aimed to enhance the overall infrastructure and to give back to his Alma Mater. The auditorium was dedicated in the honour Mr. Chowdhry’s parents, Shri Jai Krishna Chowdhry and Smt. Shakuntala Devi.
Mr. Chowdhry has been relentlessly working towards giving back to the society through his in-depth experience and understanding of the industry and with his contribution to various government advisory committees. He has also created a Charitable Trust called ‘Swayam’ which is committed to provide education support to deserving children of various HCL employees who cannot afford good education. — (Business Wire India) —
