21,152 villages would be electrified in Karnataka this year

Bangalore, Sept 2 (UNI) Rural Electrification Corporation Executive Director Vidya Sagar today said that 17 power rural electrification projects had been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 612 crore under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Yojana (RGREY)for the state.

Mr Sagar addresssing a Media Workshop on Bharat Nirman -Rural Electrification and Power Sector Reforms here toay said that the Centre had already released Rs 84 crore of the total funds for the 17 electrification projects of 21152 villages in the state.

The projects will cover 63,1828 house-holds under Below Poverty Line, he said adding that the number of electrification of unelectrified villages is 49.

He said the REC has set a target of electrification of 40,000 villages during this financial year.

RGREY aims to electrify all the villages in the country for an overall develepment of the rural regions by 2012, he said.

Karnrataka Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman K P Pandey said that there was a need to educate the farmers for an effective implementation of the reforms in the power sector.

Stating that the immediate need for the implementation of reforms is to educate the farmers to install the meters for the irrigation pump sets wich will provide proper data on power consuption.

It would help in correct auditing of tthe power consumption, he said.

The Media Workskop organised by the Press Information of India as part of the Bharat Nirman Project to disseminate information to the rural people.

Dircetor Genral of Field Publicity D Mukhopadhaya said that the media has a vital role in the disseminating the information.

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