Two high-level delegations from Delhi were on study tour in Gujarat to replicate two most successful projects of the State initiated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister — Jyotirgram Yojana and Sabarmati Riverfront Development.
The much talked about Jyotirgram Yojana aimed at supplying 24x7 electricity villages in the State, is now set to be replicated nationally. A team headed by Union Minister of State for Coal and Power Piyush Goyal was in Gandhinagar to discuss and study reform in Gujarat’s power sector and successful implementation of Jyotirgram Yojana. Another team of Delhi State Government was in Ahmedabad to develop riverfront project on Yamuna River in lines of Sabarmati Riverfront cleaning and development.
On Friday Goyal asserted that his Ministry is seriously mulling to replicate Jyotirgram Yojana to provide uninterrupted power across the country. While addressing a Press conference at Swarnim Sankul-I, which houses Gujarat Chief Minister’s office, he said that after assuming the charge as MoS, his first official visit is in Gujarat.
“I had a long session of meeting with power sector officials in the State. In fact, I received training of highest order on how efficiently and honestly the department can work for the welfare of the State. The successful Gujarat experience of 24X7 uninterrupted supply of electricity that too without increasing power tariff is what we want to utilise nationally to bring revolutionary change in the sector,” said Goyal.
He talked with Gujarat officials on how to minimise transmission loss and augment power generation capacity as well as modernisation of power. “We would like to replicate Jyotirgram Yojana in proper calibration to bring the power sector out of complete policy paralysis. Calibration is necessary as the conditions at ground zero wouldn’t be same in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh or any other part in the country,” he added.
The Union Minister also applauded measures taken by Gujarat for renewable energy. He said that he was returning to Delhi as a satisfied student. Goyal held back-to-back meetings for at least five hours with Gujarat’s Energy Minister Saurabh Patel and key officials of Energy, Power and other departments before he met mediapersons. He also paid visit to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
Meanwhile, a 13-member team of Delhi State Government was on a study tour to the Sabarmati Riverfront a day before Goyal’s visit. The team, headed by Environment and Forest Secretary Sanjiv Kumar, included top officials of Delhi Jal Board, urban designers and horticulturists. The objective of the tour was to analyse as to how the riverfront project was helping to keep the Sabarmati River clean. The team would study the possibility of a similar riverfront project for the Yamuna in Delhi.
The team also studied the evacuation and rehabilitation of more than 10,000 families living on the river banks. “We are studying various aspects of riverfront model and would see how it can be replicated back in Delhi,” said Kumar.
Visit of the team came after a meeting between Narendra Modi and Delhi’s lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on May 28. Modi has suggested Jung to look at three projects in Gujarat that could be replicated in Delhi - Cleaning and development of Yamuna in lines of Sabarmati, Solar Power generation project in North Gujarat and installation of CCTV cameras through PPP.