With over Rs 4,000 crore of work to be taken up in Odisha in rural electrification sector in next two years, Rural Electrification Corporation limited (RECl) CMD PV Ramesh Babu has promised the State Government to extend all-out support.
Dr Babu held discussion with the top brass of the State administration and discussed issues at length, while reviewing the progress of rural electrification programme taken up in the State.
He met Chief Secretary AP Padhi, Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, Secretary, Energy, CMD GRIDCO and OPTCl and appreciated the efforts of the State Government over performance in rural electrification.
While in the country 6,000 villages have been covered last year, 1,100 villages are electrified in Odisha, which is a massive job done by the authorities in the Department of Energy.
Earlier Dr Babu called on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on April 19, where the CMD was urged for inclusion of SECC 2011 beneficiaries along with BPl 1997 beneficiaries for providing free household electricity connection.
Secretary Energy Hemant Sharma revealed that release of funds by RECl for RGGVY as well as DDUGJY in fiscal 2016-17 has been quite prompt and is well appreciated by the Government of Odisha. It was suggested that this supportive attitude of RECl for release of funds should continue in 20917-18, officials said.
It has been pointed out that in several district rural electrification projects, the sanctioned amount is much less than the award cost leading to reduction of scope of work, particularly in partially electrified (PE) villages.
The State Government urged the RECl CMD to take up the matter with the Ministry of Power for sanction of additional funds in same proportion of Central and State share as provided in original scheme (90:10 for RGGVY and 60:40 for DDUGJY).
The State Government brought to the notice of the RECl chief that there is a significant skill gap in the power distribution sector. The RECl is needed to support setting up of skill development centers in Odisha for electrician, lineman, operator and such other trades.
This can be done in association with State Government Public Sector Undertakings, as well as Public Private Participation (PPP) mode with leading private sector skill development institutes in the State.
Dr Babu immediately agreed for such a proposal and the RECl can effectively use its CSR budget for the purpose, pointed out a senior official in the Department of Energy.