Rural power plan fails to light up villages

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New Delhi, Jul 9: With general elections knocking on the door, the UPA government is far from achieving what it had committed with regard to rural electrification under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). The RGGVY programme is a part of the Bharat Nirman initiative and is a flagship programme of the government that was launched in April 2005. It promises to light up 1.25 lakh villages and provide electricity connections to 2.34 crore rural households by 2009.

According to recent figures released by the power ministry, majority of states are yet to achieve the targets set. Of the total 1.25 lakh villages to be covered under the programme, only 38,525 villages were electrified and just 6.72 lakh (of the targeted 2.34 crore) BPL households were provided electricity connections till March 31, 2007 - the end of the 10th Plan period. During the middle of the 10th Plan, 235 projects were sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 9696.3 crore.

Completion of these projects would ensure electrification of 67,012 non-electrified villages, intensive electrification of 1,11,936 electrified villages and free connections to 83.1 lakh BPL households.

Since January this year, 316 projects have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 15,353.13 crore. The projects would cover 47,672 non-electrified villages and provide power connections to 158.52 lakh BPL households.

Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Manipur, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal are some of the states that have met some amount of the targets set for providing electricity to the rural areas. Interestingly, even Bihar, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand have achieved much of their targets under the scheme.

In its presentation to the Planning Commission made last week, the power ministry listed out certain factors that have resulted in the delay, including issues like delay by states in preparing BPL lists to be provided connections, in issue of Panchayat certificate for village electrification and land acquisition for 33/11kv sub-stations.

The ministry has suggested periodical and regular monitoring by district committees and identified law and order situations, non-availability of turnkey contractors and high tender costs as some of the major reasons for the rural electrification initiative not taking of particularly in Jammu and Kashmir and the north-east.

However, on the basis of the evaluation study done by the Planning Commission a three-tier quality monitoring mechanism has been adopted and the RGGVY quality manual has been finalised and released. State level coordination committees are being set up under the respective chief secretaries to resolve state level and inter-departmental issues.