Norm tweak extends wait for 1 lakh families seeking power connection

Only household within 300m of transformer to get connection under DDU Gram Jyoti Yojana

The hopes of one lakh families in Barmer, waiting to get a power connection under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), have been dashed after the state government set new norms to issue the connections under the scheme.

According to the new norms, the state power department has decided to issue power connections to those families which have houses within a 300-metre radius of the transformer.

Earlier, in the proposed detailed project report (DPR), the department had announced to electrify all houses.

Under the DDUGJY, the centre has allocated ₹469 crore for the electrification of Barmer, which is the highest for any district in Rajasthan. But the power department officials are now claiming that under the allocated budget, they could electrify only 70% of the houses.

They claimed that they need more money for the remaining families.

Confirming the fact, Ashwani Kumar Bohra, executive engineer for the DDUGJY in Barmer, said with the available budget they can give power connections only to those families which are within 300-metre range from the transformer.

“Remaining families will be electrified in the next phase,” he added.

Sources said the department needs more than ₹150 crore for the complete electrification.

After the launch of Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGVY) in April 2005, the erstwhile UPA government had announced 100% electrification by March 2022. About 54,000 families had applied for electricity connections in Barmer, but no progress could be made, as the assembly election was announced. Subsequently, the Vasundhara Rajeled BJP government put all the schemes launched by the previous Congress government in cold storage for “further review”.

In the meantime, there was a change of guard at the centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to achieve complete electrification of the country by

BARMER: EARLIER, IN THE PROPOSED DETAILED PROJECT REPORT (DPR), THE DEPARTMENT HAD ANNOUNCED TO ELECTRIFY ALL HOUSES

May 2018 with the launch of DDUGJY in July 2015.

Two years ago, the centre allocated ₹469 crore for the electrification of Barmer, but the work could not be started. After getting the budget, the power department had invited the tender, but considering the high rates quoted by bidders, the department had cancelled the tender. In January this year, the department again invited the tender and after completion of the tender process, the electrification work started in August this year.

Besides the 54,000 families, which had applied for the electricity connection under the Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Yojana, the power department added applications of 50,693 below poverty line (BPL) and 1,93,141 above poverty line (APL) families for electrification under the DDUGJY.

Congress district vice president Yagyadutt Joshi accused the BJP of depriving thousands of families of the electricity connection “for political mileage”.

“Till date, BJP government has not made any other modification apart from changing the name of the scheme, which was named after former PM Rajiv Gandhi,” he said.

Nandram Mali, a Barmer resident who had applied for the electricity connection in 2012, said he has no idea when he would get the electricity connection.

He said the launch of DDUGJY had revived his hope for the electricity connection, but the new norms has put him in a fix, as he does not know whether his house will come under the 300-metre range or not. Mali said the government should avoid tampering with the welfare scheme launched by any party.