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Rajasthan tops in rural electrification

JAIPUR: Rajasthan undertook a record expenditure of Rs.2,635 crore on electrification of villages and supply of quality power to the rural consumers during 2007-08, occupying first rank among the States in this sector. The three public sector power distribution companies made collective efforts to achieve the record.

An official release of Rajasthan Vidyut Prasaran Nigam here quoted a letter of the Rural Electrification Corporation’s Rajasthan chief, Harsh Baweja, as stating that other States were “way behind” in ensuring power supply to villages.

Mr. Baweja stated that Andhra Pradesh occupied second rank by spending Rs.2,000 crore during 2007-08 and Maharashtra third by spending Rs.1,600 crore. Among other States, Uttar Pradesh spent Rs.1,175 crore, Gujarat Rs.850 crore, West Bengal Rs.423 crore and M.P. Rs.145 crore.

The release pointed out that the three discoms in the State spent Rs.1,759 crore on supplying to 20,000 villages the electricity of the same quality given to cities. The work is in progress and a target has been set to provide quality power to all villages across the State during the current financial year.

As part of the rural electrification drive, 29,764 wells situated in farms and 479 hutments were electrified during 2007-08. As many as 123 localities inhabited by Scheduled Castes were electrified and 13,525 agricultural connections were released to the Scheduled Caste consumers.

The release said 62 industrial power connections were released against a target of 55, while 2.28 lakh connections were released to the families living below poverty line under the Kuteer Jyoti Yojana against a target of 2.20 lakh.

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