Rural electrification in six districts by March 2010

The National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), entrusted with the rural electrification work in six districts of Orissa under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), will complete the work by the end of March 2010.

While the rural electrification work in Ganjam and Gajapati will be completed by the end of the current fiscal, the work in Puri, Kandhamal, Raygada and Boudh are proposed to be completed by the end of the next fiscal, a senior executive of the company said.

“There were some initial hiccups and these have been streamlined. We hope to complete the rural electrification programme as early as possible”, S K Garg, chairman and the managing director (CMD), NHPC said.

He said, in the initial phase there was some mismatch between the manufacturing capacity of the materials used in the rural electrification. With the constant follow up with the contractor, NHPC will be able to meet the target. About 1010 villages in Ganjam and Gajapati were to be electrified in these two districts and 774 villages have been electrified so far. The remaining 236 villages will be electrified by the end of March 2009. Besides, a joint survey with the power distribution company, Southco, will be taken up in 400 villages in these two districts on 26 February to finalise the number of villages to be electrified. Garg today met the state energy minister , Surya Narayan Patro and energy secretary, Pradeep K Jena and held discussion with them.