NHPC to usher in 100 pc rural electrification in 5 states

New Delhi, May 19 (UNI) National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will assist the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in achieving the target of 100 per cent electrification of villages spread over 27 districts by 2009 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,550 crore.

NHPC, a premier organisation for developing hydro power in the country and abroad, has taken up the initiative for contributing in 100 per cent village electrification programme under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidiyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) by assisting the states on their request, an official spokesman said today.

The programme, launched by the Prime Minister, is being carried out by the Power Sector Undertakings and the states with 90 per cent Central grant and 10 per cent as loan.

Rural electrification works in about, 1,100 villages in West Bengal, are at different stages of implementation and gradually villages are being electrified. About 150 transformers have been installed and a majority of them energised. The work is actively going on in over 600 villages. Electrification of Purulia district is expected to be completed in this financial year.

In Bihar, NHPC will award the work shortly in the Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Purbi Champaran districts. The work in the Pashchim Champaran and Sheohar districts will start after the rainy season. Of 27 districts in the five states allotted to NHPC, 6 DPRs are in the process of submission, 14 DPRs are awaiting financial concurrence and on 7 DPRs the work is in execution in West Bengal and Bihar.

Work of rural electrification in Chhattisgarh and Orissa also has been taken up.

The programme is expected to contribute nationwide in generating employment in rural areas on one hand and streamlining the distribution of electricity on the other hand.

The works are being executed by NHPC with local assistance. On completion, it will be handed over to the states that are expected to use franchise for the purpose of meter reading, billing, collection and simultaneously eliminating power theft. The franchise system is being implemented by the respective states and in the case of Purulia, self-help groups have been identified by West Bengal.

Besides providing direct employment to local habitation in work and deployment of franchises for different jobs, the RGGVY programme has also contributed in a big way to small-scale ancillary industry for manufacturing items required for rural electrification.

Although RCC poles are available in the respective states, the need has cropped up and more units are being put up by the RGGVY contractors. Transformers, conductors, cables, meters, insulators and other items of hardware are also required in this scheme.

The industry, therefore, has a big potential in the coming 3-4 years, which is going to cater to ongoing works under the RGGVY programme.

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