RGGVY villages in Sikkim to be energized by Sept. 30: Sonam Lepcha

Sikkim Energy and Power Minister Sonam Gyatso Lepcha said Tuesday that all Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) villages in Sikkim would be energized fully by September 30.

Addressing the seventh Power Ministers' Conference of states and union territories here today, Lepcha said the state is providing round-the-clock reliable power supply to all census villages and added that the data base of all electrified and non-electrified habitations is being carried out under various proposed electrification programmes.

He said transmission losses would be reduced by at least three percent in the next six months and upto five percent in next one year.

He further said the state has taken effective technical measures to reduce transmission losses in project areas of Gangtok and Upper Tadong towns by installing necessary hardware and IT-enabled applications to monitor and compute systemic losses and to further identify and control such losses.

He said technical losses are being minimized through system upgradation and strengthening works, and added that the metering of feeders, distribution transformers and bulk consumer premises have been completed.

Lepcha said the state is strengthening intra-state transmission and sub transmission system keeping in view the commissioning of new hydel projects in the state to provide electricity to the national grid and other north eastern states to meet the supply and demand of the region.

He also said Sikkim has taken measures to monitor and ensure compliance with a grid standard and a grid code. The requisite protection system would be installed to ensure an integrated operation of the state grid with the regional grid.

Gyatso requested the Union Power Ministry to provide full central funding of upto Rs.1569 crore for strengthening Sikkim's transmission and distribution system in view of its strategic location.

He said the 99 megawatt Chuzachen hydro-electric project had been successfully commissioned on May 17, 2003 through the IPP mode.

The state government has taken various steps for distribution sector reforms, he said, and added that measures have been devised to ensure timely collection of outstanding electricity bills for government departments and local bodies funded by the state government.

He also said that state has sufficient power generation system to meet demand and that there were no plans to procure power from other sources.