Lalu Yadav demands electrification of 36 riverine villages in Bihar

Patna: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today demanded electrification of 36 riverine villages located on the embankment of river Ganga in Bihar's Patna and Saran districts to boost economic development there.

Most of 36 riverine villages along the river Ganga on either side of Patna and Saran districts are not electrified. As a result, farmers of the region do not get value for their produces, he said in a statement.

The electrification will enable the farmers to irrigate their already fertile farmland and enhance cultivation of various crops by multiple times which will go a long way in improving the socio-economic condition of the villagers, Prasad said.

The RJD supremo, who had represented Chapra parliamentary seat for three terms and Saran for another term post-delimitation and rechristening in 2009, said he has extensively visited the riverine villages and heard grievances of the local people about non-availability of power.

Acting on the feedback of the people, Prasad said he has urged the state government to electrify the riverine villages and spoke to the Principal Secretary (Electricity) Pratyaya Amrit requesting him to carry out electrification of these villages on priority basis.

It may be mentioned that the RJD supremo's demand for electrification of riverine villages has come nine months after the Union Minister Piyush Goyal had launched a project in the state capital on August 23 for electrification of 36 villages located in riverine areas of Patna and Saran districts through installation of two feeders of 11 KV each.

This project will be part of integrated budget of Rs 5,727 crore sanctioned by the Union Power Ministry for development of power infrastructure in Bihar, he had said.

The electrification project will benefit 11,375 households in the riverine area which have been without electricity for ages, Goyal had said at a press conference accompanied by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who represents Saran parliamentary seat.