Shinde launches Nat Prog. of Franchisees under RGGVY

New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today launched the National Programme of franchisee under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), entrusted with the management of the rural distribution of power.

Launching the programme at a function here, the Minister announced that during 2005-06, village electricity infrastructure had been created in 10,169 villages in the states of Uttar Pradesh (7503), Bihar (1600), West Bengal (352), Rajasthan (230), Uttaranchal (87) and Karnataka (397) under the scheme.

Lauding the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and other agencies for achieving the target set, Mr Shinde said he expected the Power Grid, NTPC, NHPC and DVC to take up the next target of electrification of 40,000 villages during this financial year.

Mr Shinde said the Ministry aimed to fulfill the goal of ensuring 100 per cent rural electrification of all households in five years.

Reacting to the observations by Gauri Maurya, a woman franchisee from Uttaranchal, who spoke just before him, he said the confidence shown by the representative of rural India reflected the success of the programme.

The Minister released the guidelines for the franchisees representing the states of Uttaranchal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal, who were present at the function.

Power Secretary R V Shahi, REC CMD Anil Lakhina and Joint Secretary Arvind Jadhav also spoke.

Franchisees, who form the key component of the success of the scheme, include Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), users association, cooperatives or individual associations. The Panchayat institutions would also be associated.

In West Bengal, Uttaranchal, Nagaland, and Karnataka steps have been taken to deploy them to collect revenues in 22,000 villages.

Likewise, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana are moving towards input-based franchisees with adequate emphasis on energy auditing. The ambitious franchisee scheme will enable tremendous job opportunities, About 20,000 to 25,000 franchisees are expected to emerge during the XIth Plan.

The programme envisages five kinds of franchisees that would take up the management of rural electricity infrastructure for revenue sustainability. It is expected that deployment of franchisees will not only cut distribution losses, involve village level agencies but also ask for quality supply of power from the State authorities.

With the advent of franchisees, large value assets being created under the RGGVY would get maintained.

Under the scheme, projects will be financed with 90 per cent capital subsidy with the electrification of Below Poverty Line (BPL) households financed with 100 per ceny capital subsidy.

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