Two-day Rajgir power ministers' meet called off

At the meet, Power Minister R K Singh was expected to ask states to submit their plans

The two-day meet of power and renewable energy ministers, which was scheduled to start at Rajgir in Bihar on November 10, has been called off at the eleventh hour. The biennial conference, which was to be chaired by Power Minister R K Singh, stood cancelled because Singh is slated to attend the Union Council of Ministers meet on Friday. At the meet, Singh was expected to ask states to submit their plans and funding requirements to provide electricity to 40 million families under the Saubhagya scheme by December next year. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Saubhagya scheme (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) in September to achieve 100 per cent electrification of households by December 2018. The other areas to be covered at the meeting included promoting prepaid meters, separation of power feeders, digital payment of bills and providing 24x7 power for all. The conference is held twice a year. The previous one was held in Delhi in the month of May.