Letter to BS: Modi govt meets electrification target of 18,000 villages

This refers to “Powering villages: One milestone crossed” (April 30). With Manipur’s Leisang village being the last village to get electrified, we have covered all 597,464 villages where power has reached. On August 15, 2015, while addressing the nation Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to provide electricity to all villages within 1,000 days and he has achieved the milestone well ahead of the deadline. 

Though we need to celebrate this day, we should not rest until the day all households get electricity. Because technically, even if 10 per cent households and public places have access to power, a village is considered electrified. So, the government should aim to take electricity to every household. There are two critical aspects — one is reduction in power theft and another is improving the finances and operational conditions of discoms. 

Even if the government is able to take power to each and every household in the country, not much will change on the ground if power theft is not addressed and distribution companies do not become viable. Regardless of the budgetary support that the central government can provide, if these issues are not addressed, the government’s aim will not be achieved in the true sense.

Bal Govind, Noida

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