As many as 12 villages in Bihar got electricity for the first time last week and government stands committed to reaching power to all villages by March 2017, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said today.
"We electrified 12 villages in Bihar last week. After 68 years, they finally have power," Goyal said in a tweet.
Power ministers of all states and Union Territories had earlier unanimously decided to ensure electrification of all the un-electrified villages by March 31, 2017 under the centre's ambitious DDUGJY programme.
"Yesterday we electrified 3 more villages. Also work started on 165 more villages," the minister tweeted, adding that "we are electrifying small dhanis and tollis also under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana."
As on April 1, 2015, 2,890 census villages were to be electrified. Of those, 172 have been electrified as on November 30, 2015. The remaining villages are targetted to be electrified by May 1, 2015, Goyal said in written reply to the Lok Sabha.
"Unlike older electrification definition of (minimum) electrification of 10 per cent households, we aim to ensure electricity reaches all households by 2019," he said in another tweet.
The country has adequate coal and power, Goyal said, adding that 8-10 GW of generation capacity will also be setup in South India to ensure adequate power.
"More than 4,000 MW of transmission capacity has been set up to help South India with 20,000 MW more coming," he said.
"From 30 power plants facing super critical levels of coal shortage last year, not a single plant at super critical shortage today," he added.
The minister claimed there is no shortage of electricity
in North India and that there is surplus power in the country.
"We have empowered the people of Uttar Pradesh through Vidyut Pravah to know exactly what is the available power in the state, what the state is declaring as shortage and what they are buying from the exchange. If they (Uttar Pradesh) have any problem, NTPC is in a position to supply as much power as they want," he said.
Stressing that there is enough power available with the exchange, the minister urged all the state governments to buy more power and supply to their people.
He said in a Federal structure, Centre can not force anybody to buy power.
On the proposal to bring big hydro-power plants under the ambit of renewable energy, the minister said :"Yes we are having a rethink on that. We are studying what is the international pattern and then we will take a final call."
He also claimed that there was no shortage of coal in the country.
