By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das Friday said that installation charges for new electricity connections will be waived off for all families in the state.
The scheme will be called Atal Gramin Jyoti Yojna after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Das said while presenting 2010-11 budget in the state assembly.
“The Atal Gramin Jyoti Yojna is different from Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification (RGRE) work. Under RGRE only BPL (below poverty line) families get free connection but under Atal Gramin Jyoti Yojna all the families will get electricity connection free of cost,” Das, who also holds the finance portfolio, told reporters.
In the budget, the state government has allocated Rs.750 crore for power sector.
The budget states “Against target of 8,727 villages under rural electrification in 13 districts, only 7,367 villages have been electrified. Against target of providing electricity connection to 911,450 BPL families, only 484,611 families have been provided power connection.”