Centre to look into problems of RGGVY in Orissa

The Centre has assured the Orissa government to look into various problems encountered in the implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY).

This includes the removal of the discrepancy between the number of villages where the electrification is reported to be completed and the number of actual villages offered for inspection, creation of additional transformer capacity and finalisation of packages for Jajpur district.

The state energy secretary, Pradeep Kumar Jena held discussion with the officials of the Union power ministry in New Delhi on these issues recently.

Sources said, the energy secretary took up the issue of discrepancy between the list of completely electrified villages furnished by the Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) vested with the rural electrification work in Orissa and the list of villages which are offered for inspection by the state government.

The state officials pointed out that the total number of electrified villages under the RGGVY as given by the CPSUs is not correct as the same number of villages are not offered for inspection. They urged the ministry officials to come on a field visit and check the numbers.

Similarly, it has come to the notice of the state government that some villages are electrified with just extension of the existing LT lines without commensurate increase in the transformer capacity. About 300 villages in Ganjam and Gajapati districts couldn’t be charged as the additional transformer capacity was lacking. In this context, the Centre was urged to accept the revised cost estimates of these villages.

Though the CPSUs were given the target of electrifying all the villages targeted to be electrified in the 10th plan by the end of September 2009, given the pace of work, there was apprehension whether these villages could be provided power within the stipulated time. About 1200 habitations are yet to be electrified. Besides, the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) was urged to finalise one package work in Jajpur district.