1/3rd of 18,452 non-electrified villages now have power: Goyal

The Centre has completed the electrification work in nearly one-third of 18,452 unelectrified villages, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in his Independence Day speech last year that all 18,452 unelectrified villages will get electricity within 1,000 days. The Centre has decided to provide power to 18,452 villages by May 1, 2018.

“We have electrified 5,026 villages. Electrification of 898 villages is in progress while 1,415 villages are under energisation. Today, one-third of the overall task of electrifying 18,452 villages has been achieved,” Goyal told reporters here. Goyal said that electrification works in these villages faced several challenges as most of the areas were naxal-hit, and also consist of hilly terrain and dense forestation.

Goyal explained that out of the 2,21,424 milestones set for electrification of these villages, 72,799 are achieved.