Free power for people hit by projects

The Union ministry of power will provide free electricity connections to houses located around projects being set up by Central public sector units. This is being done to quell protests by locals against setting up the power plants.

The decision will cover residents within a 5-km radius of power projects being set up by the Central power utilities like National Thermal Power Corporation, National Hydro Electric Corporation, and Nuclear Power Corporation. The cost of free power will be borne by the organisation to which the plant belongs.

“We are yet to identify the places where the scheme could be implemented. As of now, Simhadri Stage II is under construction by the NTPC in the state,” said Mr Sutitha Bhattacharya, principal secretary of energy.

The NPC plans to set up a nuclear power project at M. Thummapalli near Pulivendula, while the department of atomic power proposes to set up another Kovvada in Vizianagaram.

Under the scheme, electricity will be supplied for a minimum six to eight hours every day to households. A growth rate of 3 per cent per annum will be considered for calculating the power requirement of the area in future and accordingly the allocation will be increased on yearly basis.

BPL households will gets a free single-lamp electricity connection. LED bulbs will be provided as a one-time affair.

The state power utility will have an obligation in respect of providing data, clearances, access and space in the existing substations for making the scheme possible. The infrastructure needed to implement the scheme would be taken up by the central power corporations.