Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the Energy Department to ensure that all villages get electricity by May 2017 and all households by March 2019.
The Chief Minister issued this direction while reviewing the implementation of rural electrification programme at the State Secretariat on Friday. He directed to supply electricity to Kandhamal, Nuapada, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts on a priority basis.
Naveen also asked the department officials to provide power to all hostels for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste students and BPl families on priority basis.
An official release informed that while electricity was provided to 2,156 villages last year, the Government has set a target to provide electricity to 1,318 villages by May, 2017. By now, all CHCs and PHCs have been supplied power, it said.
Out of 500 33/11 KV substations now being installed, 434 are meant for rural areas, said the Chief Minister.
Among others, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das, Development Commissioner R Balkrishnan, Finance Principal Secretary TK Pandey and Energy Secretary Rajesh Verma were present.