The State Government would demand inclusion of all left out villages and habitations having population of 100 or less under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutkaran Yojana-II (RGGVY) at the Conference of Power Ministers of States on Tuesday at New Delhi. Minister of State for Energy Arun Kumar Sahoo would represent the meeting from Odisha.
Talking to newsmen here, Sahoo said that the Union Government would finalise the shape of the second phase of the RGGVY to be implemented during the12th plan period. “We would demand all villages and habitations, irrespective of population size, be covered and all households provided access to electricity during the RGGVY-II before the Union Energy Minister,” he informed.
Population in a number of sizable habitations and villages in Odisha is less than 100, the benefit of the RGGVY is not reaching the targeted people, Sahoo said, hoping that the Energy Ministry would realize the deficiencies in the implementation of the first phase of the scheme and take realistic steps to amend the provisions.
Though the scheme was launched in Odisha way back in 2007-08, the desired results had not so far been achieved due to certain shortcomings, deficiencies in planning, improper attention in going into the finer details at the time of preparing Detailed Project Report (DPR), improper selection of contractors by the Central PSUs and lack of coordination at the field level, he said, adding that he would submit a proposal for rectification of the deficiencies to ensure proper implementation of the scheme. Sahoo also said that he would seek a change in the consideration of load profile for a BPl household at 40 Watt as it does not take into account the actual requirement.
The Minister said he would request the Union Minister that enough flexibility may be provided to the implementing agencies, such as using RS joist poles, using tubular poles in hilly and difficult areas, closer spacing of polls in HT and lT lines, provision of higher ground clearance in case of elephant corridors and wild life sanctuaries and vulnerable areas as part of safety features.
Sahoo also said that during the meeting, he would reiterate the State’s demand to reconsider the decision and allow the benefits of Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) to the consumers of the three private DISCOMs of the State and other private DISCOMs in the country.
Due to the non-extension of R-APDRP, which was pioneer in the power sector reforms in the country, the State is losing around Rs 1,500 crore per annum, he asserted.
While the State had undertaken power sector reforms and privatized the distribution sector formally in April 1999 pursuing the policy of the Union Government, now the State is debarred from the financial benefit to strengthen the power infrastructure due to the change in the policies. Odisha did not get any amount from the Rs 40, 000 crore kept under APDRP in the 10th Plan and Rs 51,577 crore under R-APDRP in the 11th and 12 th Plan, he said. The State would also demand financial support from the Center for the State load Dispatch Center, he maintained.