Bhubaneswar: The State Government has decided to launch a massive programme, ‘Tikiye Aluo’ to distribute 50 lakh solar lanterns and study lamps among the households that depend on kerosene and other means to meet their minimum illumination needs. The state government in this regard has asked the District Collectors, District Project Directors and BDOs to send the list of beneficiaries. The beneficiaries will be shortlisted at the Panchayat level and then the list will be sent to the Rural Development Project Director through the respective block office within a stipulated 30 days time frame. A formal notification was issued to the stakeholders by S N Dey, Director of Panchayati Raj department. The Science and Technology department has chalked out the programme to be implemented over a period of five years. Every year 10 lakh lanterns and study lamps will be distributed under the programme. The lanterns will have a Light Emitting Diode (LED) instead of the conventional bulb. Unlike Kerosene lanterns, these solar lanterns can be operated at three different levels of illumination-high, bright and bed lamp mode. Once full charged, a battery in the lantern can give back-up for 17 hours in high bright mode, 42 hours in bright mode and 300 hours in the bed lamp mode. The benefiting families will submit an affidavit swearing that there is no electricity in their village and they depend upon oil lamps, the copy of which will be put up at the Panchayat office. Besides, ORMAS and OREDA, the state government has also decided to rope in Women self-help groups to assemble the MNRE-specified kits, simultaneously generating employment opportunities.