Odisha asks NTPC, PGCIL to float tenders for RGGVY

The Odisha government has urged central PSUs — NTPC Ltd and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) to go ahead with the task of floating tenders for implementation of projects under the Rajeev Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in the 12th Plan period (2012-17).

The state government has also clarified its position on agency charges for implementing the projects.

“The government after careful consideration has been pleased to allow the agency charges at nine per cent of the project cost for implementation of RGGVY 12th Plan projects in Odisha over and above the permissible limit of five per cent of its own resources. I am therefore to request you to go ahead with the floating of tenders as early as possible for implementation of RGGVY 12th Plan projects”, Premanidhi Seth, additional secretary (energy), Odisha said in a letter to chairman cum managing directors of NTPC and PGCIL.

Under the 12th Plan, only those villages and habitations having population of 100 and above are eligible to be covered.

The guidelines issued by the government of India state that a village is contemplated as a sum of habitations wherein the main village is considered as the main habitation of the village. The habitations already covered under RGGVY will not be eligible for funding under the 12th Plan. However, for the left out BPL (below poverty line) households in the already covered villages and habitations, it is proposed to provide capital subsidy at the rate of Rs 3,000 per connection.

According to the guidelines, the projects would provide for access to electricity to the rural households in the project area within the stipulated time frame of two years from the date of award of projects.

To ensure smooth implementation of projects under RGGVY, the Odisha government has constituted a 16-member standing committee headed by the chief secretary.

The committee’s mandate is to recommend the detailed project reports (DPRs) and monitor RGGVY implementation during the 12th Plan period. Apart from top officials of other departments like home, finance, revenue & disaster management, energy, rural development, forest & environment and panchayati raj, the panel has representatives from the four distribution utilities operating in the state and also Central PSUs like Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).

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