Shillong, Mar 11 : Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday said that villages which are yet to be covered under the Saubhagya scheme will be taken up under the Reform Distribution System Scheme (RDSS). “I assure that those leftout villages, which are yet to be covered under the Saubhagya scheme or any other schemes, will be done in the second phase as the Government of India has already launched the RDSS to ensure each and every village is fully electrified,” he told the Assembly. Tynsong, who also holds Power portfolio, said due to massive reduction of the actual DPR, many villages stand leftout for implementation of the Saubhagya scheme. In 2017, the state was asked by the Power Ministry to submit the detailed project report (DPR) for implementation of the Saubhagya scheme with the aim to reach out to the last mile villages in the state. Accordingly, the government submitted the DPR which comes to Rs 1,914 crore through the Rural Electrification Commission (REC). Tynsong said, however the REC has cut down the original DPR to Rs 1,189.58 crore and further reduced to Rs 657.05 crore under the Saubhagya Scheme. He said the government so far have completed implementing Rs 600.07 crore. The Deputy Chief Minister informed that 100 % electrification in Bolgangre village under Rerapara block is yet to be completed. Out of the 75 households in Bolgangre, 33 households have been electrified while the remaining 42 households could not be electrified due to want of additional infra since the village was not in the list of villages in the Saubhagya scheme, Tynsong said. When opposition Trinamool Congress legislator Zenith Sangma sought to know as to when the remaining villages will be taken up under RDSS, Tynsong said that the DPR has been submitted through the REC. “The REC till now is examining the DPR once it is done it will go to the Ministry of Power for approval,” he added. RRK BM
