By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), popularly referred to as the rural electrification scheme, has been progressing at a snail’s pace affecting the rural people of Meghalaya.
According to officials associated with RGGVY, the central scheme is facing hurdles in its implementation for the last three areas, especially in laying transmission line and outsourcing of bill collection through franchisees.
On laying distribution lines, the main stumbling block is the opposition from certain criminal elements by way of serving demand notes and physical harassment to contractors who are undertaking works in the far flung areas
Another problem is the difficult terrain especially the poor road communication in West Khasi Hills and the whole of Garo Hills. Incessant rain has also affected the laying of transmission line.
As far as the franchisee is concerned, the MeECL has already floated expression of interest and also training of interested franchisees, but the actual allotment of works have not been given to all the franchisees.
So far, MeECL has allotted works only to a few franchisees in some clusters of Jaintia Hills on a trial basis.
Also there are a very few interested franchisee bidders for West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills region.
For East Garo Hills and South Garo Hills, only one bidder each has applied.
The State has been divided into clusters for the purpose of collection of bills by the franchisees. Each cluster consists of around 500 consumers. In Jaintia Hills there are 50 clusters, East Khasi Hills (54), West Khasi Hills (44), Ri-Bhoi (36), East and South Garo Hills (21 each) and West Garo Hills (51).
The Government of India through the Ministry of Power has already sanctioned over Rs 300 crore out of the total estimated cost of more than Rs 400 crore for implementation of RGGVY in the State.
The main component of the scheme is to lay both high tension and low tension lines in all the rural areas particularly in villages which have not been covered under the erstwhile rural electrification schemes.
The other component of the scheme is to implement the collection of revenue from rural electrification through the franchisees.
The final decision to select the remaining franchisees will be taken up by the Board of Directors of MeECL.
The Union Power ministry is unlikely to release the last installment of money under the project if the franchisee system of collection of revenue is not carried out all over the State.
There are a total of 6026 villages in the State, out of which only 3568 (59.21 per cent) have been electrified.