India wants to electrify 100 per cent of its villages but as expected the work towards it is happening at a snail's pace.
In order to give it a push the government may now offer a special grant between Rs 5-50 crore in the forthcoming Budget to private companies and NGOs to help bring power to rural India.
Potential partners who will be selected to implement the project will be funded according to the size of the project.
“Rural electrification is a top priority for us. It has come to our knowledge that private sector too wants to play its role in this process. Why not involve them officially,” says Manick Tagore, Congress MP.
In fact, many corporates are keen to take up this model.
“We have products that can cater specifically to the rural markets, but we need to understand the exact modalities. If given a chance, private sector involvement, won't only speed up the process of rural electrification in India, it will also create economic activities at the grassroots,” says Jean Pascal Tricoire, president and CEO of Schneider Electric.
It goes without saying that rural electrification is a top agenda as far as this government is concerned.
Involvement of private sector and NGOs in the process, will help generate business opportunities for the rural poor, over and above affordable energy.
Source : ndtv.com