CCEA nod to continuing RGGVY electrification in 12th Plan

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the Power Ministry's proposal for continuing the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in the 12th Plan (2012-16), an official release said Friday.

This is to complete the spillover works of projects sanctioned in 10th and 11th Plan and for covering all remaining census villages with population of over 100 people, the statement said.

The scope of RGGVY includes providing free electricity connections to households below the poverty line (BPL) and at Rs.3000 per connection in villages with population of above 100, it added.

The power ministry said that during the 10th and 11th Plans, 648 projects covering 112,795 un-electrified villages, 402,364 partially electrified villages and 275.69 lakh BPL households with total project cost of Rs.42,060.44 crore have been sanctioned.

As on March 31, 2012 electrification of 1,04,496 un-electrified villages, and intensive electrification in 248,553 partially electrified villages had been completed and free electricity connections to 19,425 lakh BPL households were released.

According to the ministry, capital subsidy of Rs.26,151 crore was utilized under the scheme as of end-March 2012.

The RGGVY was launched in April 2005 with the aim of providing access to electricity to all rural households. It was initially approved with capital subsidy of Rs.5,000 crore for the last two years of the 10th Plan period.

The government provides 90 percent capital subsidy for projects under the scheme.