MLAs exchange words over tardy progress in RGGVY in Orissa

When the treasury bench accused the Centre of not cooperating with the state government in smooth implementation of rural electrification activities through RGGVY, Congress members blamed the administration for its tardy progress.

Initiating a debate during an adjournment motion, Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan accused Orissa government of failing to address the problems of rural people even as the Centre sanctioned funds for electrification.

"The activities of central public sectors like NHPC, NTPC and PGCIL, which had been assigned job of electrification in Orissa, were not satisfactory", Energy minister Atanu S Nayak told the assembly while replying to the debate.

Stating that the state government was not against the rural electrification programme, Nayak said that the CPUs were not working properly.

Nayak, however, admitted that the detailed project reports (dpr) prepared at the district level were not correct which slowed down electrification work. "Instructions were given to re-prepare DPRs in order to overcome the lacunae there in", the minister said.

While Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) gives funds under RGGVY to CPSUs, the state government was supposed to monitor the activities.

The CPSUs were found giving the works on franchise to small contractors thus delaying rural electrification activities.

Despite several hurdles, as many as 4934 vilages of the total 40,706 villages and hamlets, were electrified.

The minister also stated that the state government launched its Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana to cover the villages and hamlets having less than 100 population. The RGGVY was not implemented in the villages and hamlets less than 100 population.

Nayak said the state government was committed to provide electricity to all the villages through RGGVY and BGVY.