Jammu: Chief Secretary, B B Vyas on Tuesday chaired a video conference with DCs to review implementation of the Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) to achieve 100% household electrification in Jammu & Kashmir by 31st March, 2019.

Commissioner/Secretary PDD, Commissioner/Secretary Revenue, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, DC, Jammu and other senior officers attended the meeting. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir also participated via video conferencing.

Presenting a brief overview of the scheme, Commissioner/Secretary PDD informed the meeting that ‘Saubhagya’envisages electricity connections to all un-electrified households in the state, with poor households to be provided electricity connections free of cost.

The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500, which shall be recovered in 10 instalments through electricity bills.

For remote and inaccessible villages/habitations, where grids extension is not feasible or cost effective, Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) based standalone systems will be provided.

It was informed that the exercise for collecting data of un-electrified households in the districts has already begun through the Executive Engineers of PDD and after validation by the District Level Committee headed by the DCs; the survey reports will be submitted before 31st January, 2018.

Chief Secretary emphasised on involving local public representatives for information and sensitization of the beneficiaries. He also stressed on organising panchayat wise camps in villages/towns for spreading awareness about the scheme.

Chief Secretary also reviewed the progress in regard to the resolution of RoW issues of the vital power transmission lines and grid stations in various districts of Kashmir and the Jammu divisions.

The projects reviewed include the 220 KV Wagoora-Mir-Bazar, Wagoora-Budgam-Zainakote, Zainakote-Alusteng–Mirbazar and Alusteng-Mirbazar Transmission Line, 132 KV Badampora-Bandipora, Budgam-Chadoora D/C, KV Pampore-Khrew D/C, Mir Bazar-Qazigund Railway Line, 220 KV Gladni-Udhampur, 132 KV D/C Barn-Canal Transmission Line etc and the grid stations at Khanyar, Batpora-Tailbal, Tengpora and lassipora.

The progress on the 220 KV Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line and the resolution of RoW issues in the 400 KV Jallandhar-Samba-Amargarh Transmission Line were also reviewed in the meeting.

Chief Secretary noted with satisfaction the progress achieved in resolution of bottlenecks and asked DCs to complete the land acquisition proceedings in all pending sections immediately.

The progress on the project will again be reviewed in the 3rd week of January, 2018.

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