Village in Naxal-hit Abujmarh region set to get power supply

Raipur, Sep 22: The Chhote Dongar village of Maoist insurgency-hit Abujmarh region is set to get electricity connection for the first time, with Chief Minister Raman Singh expected to launch the supply next month.

"Chairing a meeting of energy department officials yesterday, the Chief Minister gave final touch to the electrification projects across the state, particularly in Bastar. He stressed on providing electricity connection to all villages by 2018," an official said here today.

"During the meeting, it was informed that Chhote Dongar will be the first village in Bastar's Abujmarh region to get electrified since Independence with traditional energy," he said, adding Singh is likely to inaugurate the electricity supply there in October.

Spread over an area of over 1,500 square miles, Abujmarh has a dense forest cover, rocky terrain, rivers and rivulets and inaccessible forest villages, mainly inhabited by Gond, Muria and Maria tribes.

It is spread in Narayanpur, Bijapur and Dantewada districts and also borders with Maharashtra. Chhote Dongar village is in Narayanpur.

Meanwhile, Singh reviewed the installation of power sub-stations in various parts of the state. He instructed the officials of the department to implement the projects on a war-footing, the official said.

Thirty power sub-stations are likely to come up in Rajnandgaon district, 27 sub-stations in Durg district, 22 in Raipur and Raigarh, 18 in Mahasamund, 17 in Surguja, 15 in Bilaspur, 14 in Janjgir-Champa, 12 in Bastar district (Jagdalpur), 11 in Kanker and 10 in Korba district, he said.

Twenty-nine power sub-stations with 132 kv and above capacity are being installed in various parts of the state. In the meeting, the officials informed that around five lakh BPL families have been given LED lamps under the 'Ujala Yojana'.

The rest of the poor families will get LED lamps by March-end. Distribution of 11,000 solar irrigation pumps to farmers under the solar energy scheme was also reviewed during the meeting, he added.

PTI