Naveen announces Rs 1000-crore rural electrification programme

By Ratikant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, May 23: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced a Rs 1000-crore Biju Gramya Jyoti Yojana (BGJY) for rural electrification in the state.

Under the scheme, at least 10,000 villages with a minimum population of 300 will be supplied electricity in next five years. The money will be allocated in the coming budget session of the state Assembly beginning June 1.

The programme was announced by the chief minister after a high level meeting held here at the state secretariat.

On Saturday last, the chief minister – while alleging that the Centre was not releasing required funds for rural electrification in Orissa under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana (RGGVY) – had declared that the state would launch its own electrification programme.

Speaking to reporters here, the chief minister said although the state government had been asking the Centre for release of funds for rural electrification, the Centre was not paying any heed to it. Although the state government had submitted electrification plans for all the 30 districts of the state, the Centre had approved plans for only two districts.

The chief minister had recently met the Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi and urged him to release funds to all the districts of Orissa under the RGGVY. He had also requested Mr Shinde reconsider the Union government's decision not to supply electricity to villages which do not have a population size of 300.

"Orissa is an under-developed state with over 33 per cent tribal population living in small villages and hamlets in forest areas and on the hills. If we stick to the Centre's decision, these villages will never be able to see electricity," Mr Patnaik said.

Political observers here see this newly announced programme as yet another pre-poll soap to woo the voters.

Earlier, - just before the panchayat elections in March, Naveen had announced Rs 250-crore per annum Biju Krushak Yojana for the KBK districts in protest against winding of the KBK plan by the Centre. Another Rs 250-crore package was announced under the name of Gopabandhu Gramin Rojgar Yojana for coastal Orissa.