A seminar entitled ‘Power sector issues: Challenges and possibilities’ was organised by Sankalpa Odisha here on Friday.
Rural electrification is often considered to be the backbone of the rural economy. It is basically needed for cooking, lighting, irrigation, communication etc in rural area, said speakers.
Therefore, electricity has an impact on farm productivity, health, education, communication and economic development in rural areas, they opined.
Recently in an Assembly question, the Energy Minister declared that in Odisha 43,753 villages and 17,479 hamlets have been electrified and rest 3,876 villages and 16,533 hamlets shall be electrified very soon but the fact in ground appears different, alleged Sudarshan Nayak, a retired bureaucrat. “People need regulatory framework to rural electrification which can be sustainable in long term. Rural people are vulnerable to loss of income from disturbances in agricultural activities resulting disconnection of electricity. Such practical difficulties need to be addressed on priority basis.