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Central Govt sanctions funds over Rs. 1 cr to electrify houses in Assam

BNE ADMIN


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Guwahati: The Central Government has sanctioned Rs 1,718 crore for Assam to finish the ambitious task of electrifying all houses in the state. To decrease the possibility of corruption, the government intends to include all parliamentarians in the process.

State Power Minister Bimal Bora stated that the government is aiming for 100% electrification of all houses in the state under the plan. He estimated that the project would take two to three years to complete.

Bora stated that there is no scarcity of power in Assam, and the only issue is with the distribution network. He said that there would be no scarcity of power to achieve the objective of total electrification.

At the same time, the Power Minister stated that there have been charges of corruption in the execution of the rural electrification plan, as well as cases when certain contractors received money despite not finishing the work correctly. He stated that numerous members mentioned the matter during the State Assembly's Budget session.

Hence, the government has decided to include all lawmakers in the execution of the rural electrification project, and a formal order has been issued requiring all contractors to get a certificate from the respective legislator for completion of the schemes before receiving payment.

The government has also directed the Managing Director of the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to conduct a thorough investigation into the implementation of schemes in the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, where there have been allegations of irregularities from various sources, including the Autonomous Councils. Meanwhile, the anti-theft and power disconnection programmes are producing results. More than 78,000 connections were cut in April alone owing to unpaid payments totaling Rs 61 million. However, with the realisation of Rs 15.74 crore, around 34,000 connections were restored.

The APDCL also conducts monthly raids with the assistance of the police to combat power theft. In April, 950 searches were performed across the state, and 582 theft cases totaling Rs 1.07 crore were discovered. There have been 85 instances recorded, with a total of Rs 72 lakh recovered. Bora said that the regular raids reduced the number of power thefts in the state.

BNE ADMIN