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#Conclave16: Modi govt committed to 24x7 power by 2019, says Goyal

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DailyBiteMar 17, 2016 | 17:04

#Conclave16: Modi govt committed to 24x7 power by 2019, says Goyal

Union power minister Piyush Goyal has reiterated that the Modi government is committed to round-the-clock energy access to everyone in 2019. Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2016, Goyal admitted that providing 24-hour electricity across the country is a challenging task but the government is working hard to achieve the target. He claimed that by 2019, every state DISCOM will start making profits.

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"We have committed to 24x7 energy access to everyone in 2019 and we are working to achieve that," Goyal said during the Conclave session titled - Ideas of India, and added that the Modi government is committed to fulfilling the promise it has made to the people of the country.

"The power sector inherited a legacy of loss, where 30 crore people were in darkness, which meant nearly six crore families lived without access to electricity. Problems were many such as the stagnant coal production, cancellation of 204 coal blocks and corruption," Goyal said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is often criticised for his style of decisive leadership, but he always asks the ministers to think for India first. Talking about transparency, fast and efficient decision-making, he said all procurement and awards will take place through e-auction and reverse bidding.

The power ministry has reached one-third of its target to electrify 18,000 villages by 2018. 6,000 villages have been electrified so far.

The government has increased allocation to Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for rural electrification by Rs 8,500 crore in the Budget for 2016-17. It also raised the total plan outlay for the power ministry to Rs 12,200 crore from Rs 6,800 crore.

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Watch the full speech here.

Last updated: March 17, 2016 | 17:04
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