This Article is From Sep 11, 2009

Village watches Shahrukh, thanks to NDTV Greenathon

Kendrapara (Orissa): They neither had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of his blockbusters nor the popular TV shows anchored by the superstar.

Yet, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has a large fan following in a remote village in Orissa's Kendrapara district.

Reason: the remote village now has light after daybreak, courtesy the generosity of the King Khan.

Ahirajpur village under Rajnagar tehsil lays its claim to fame for the fact that it has come under solar energy harnessing project funded by Khan.

But for SRKs generous contribution, Ahirajpur would have still remained shrouded in darkness.

Khan had fully funded the project and The Energy & Research Institute (TERI) implemented the solar energy harnessing project as part of NDTV's Greenathon initiative titled Light a Billion Lives, said Biraja Prasad Pati, the local coordinator of the project.

It's a sort of dream come true for residents of this perennially backward village. Harnessing solar energy, recharging station has been installed in the village. People take home the cost-effective solar lantern after paying a fee of Rs 3 towards charging.
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