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Rajasthan CM Gehlot orders one lakh power connections to farmers by June
Addressing the review meeting of the department officials, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot asked them to speed up the solar energy work in order to provide electricity in households located in distant areas and complete the target of issuing 60,000 power connections in a given timeframe.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday directed the officials to issue one lakh electricity connections by June to the farmers who have deposited the demand money. He also asked the officials to issue power connections to those villagers who were deprived of the benefit under the ‘Saubhagya’ scheme.
The ‘Saubhagya’ scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25, 2017. Under the scheme, free electricity connection is issued to APL (above poverty line) and poor families in rural areas and poor families in urban areas.
Addressing the review meeting of the department officials, Gehlot asked them to speed up the solar energy work in order to provide electricity in households located in distant areas and complete the target of issuing 60,000 power connections in a given timeframe.
He directed the officials to ensure that there are no cuts in domestic power supply between 7am and 11am, and 6pm and 10pm. “Ensure quality and without tripping electricity supply for irrigation and power supply to maximum agriculture feeders during the day,” he said.
Gehlot also asked the chief secretary to hold discussions with the officials and prepare a report for Ratlam-Dungarpur-Banswara railway project.
The meeting was attended by energy minister BD Kalla; chief secretary DB Gupta; ACS, finance, Niranjan Arya and principal secretary, energy, Nareshpal Gangwar.
The chief minister also directed the water department officials to work with advance planning and prepare schemes ahead of the summer keeping in view the demand to ensure smooth drinking water supply. “There should be no scarcity of clean drinking water in the state,” he said.
Addressing the review meeting over present situation of drinking water supply, Gehlot asked the officials to prepare a scheme to dig new tube wells and hand pumps as required. The officials should sanction the demand of public representatives without any political bias, he said ,and asked the district collectors to “immediately” issue sanction from emergency funds for water supply.
Gehlot also held discussions on water supply to Jaipur city for the coming years and asked the officials to prepare a scheme.
In the meeting, he was told that adequate water supply arrangements for Jaipur are being made. In all areas, including villages, new tube wells and hand pumps are being installed or repaired and water through tankers will be ensured. In addition to it, damaged water pipelines are also being repaired and there are sufficient funds for it, he was told.
