Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday asked the power department to explore possibilities of harnessing solar energy to provide electricity in rural areas.
At a presentation made by Bergen Corporation in Srinagar this afternoon, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed officials of the department to formulate four pilot projects, one each at Jammu, Kashmir, Leh and Kargil for the government's approval.
An official spokesman said the Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy would provide financial assistance to the state government for launching the programme.
The chief minister said that after assessing the success of the projects of 10 KW each, the programme could be extended to cover all model villages where it can be used as a back up to the regular power supply.