Jhakhand scraps free power connection scheme
April 16th, 2011 - 8:11 pm ICT by IANS
Ranchi, April 16 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Jharkhand government has scrapped a scheme to provide free power connection to people in rural areas of the state. Ironically, the scheme, named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was mooted by a party leader only last year.
Atal Gramin Electrification Scheme, aimed for both people below poverty line (BPL) and others, was introduced in 2010-2011 by BJP’s Raghubar Das, finance minister in the then Shibu Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-BJP government, while presenting the 2010-11 budget in February last.
However, the Soren government fell in May last year and the state came under president’s rule till August 13.
BJP leader Arjun Munda took charge of the state later in August last year, but the free power connection scheme could not see the light of the day and has not been included in the 2001-12 budget. Munda himself holds charge of the power department.
“The scheme was for those people who were left out in the Rajiv Gandhi Rural electrification scheme. The scheme could have helped lakhs of poor people of the state,” Das told IANS.
According to sources, the scheme has been scrapped as Munda and Das are at loggerheads, and Munda does not want to implement the schemes introduced by Das.
- Jharkhand to give free power connections - Mar 05, 2010
- BJP pulls plug, Jharkhand government in minority (Third Lead) - May 24, 2010
- Jharkhand plans to give rural families power-saver CFLs - Jul 25, 2011
- BJP pulls plug, Soren gets a week to prove majority (Fourth Lead) - May 24, 2010
- BJP withdraws support, Jharkhand government in minority (Second Lead) - May 24, 2010
- Backed by JMM, BJP set to form Jharkhand government (Intro Roundup) - Sep 07, 2010
- BJP to withdraw support from Soren government Monday - May 24, 2010
- Development will help fight Maoist menace: Arjun Munda (Interview) - Jan 24, 2012
- Jharkhand chief minister's post: Raghubar Das frontrunner - May 09, 2010
- BJP aligns with JMM, seeks to form Jharkhand government (Third Lead) - Sep 07, 2010
- Munda caught between falling buildings and grumbling leaders - Apr 20, 2011
- BJP joins up with JMM again, stakes claim for Jharkhand government (Roundup) - Sep 07, 2010
- With JMM support, BJP stakes claim to form Jharkhand government (Second Lead) - Sep 07, 2010
- BJP backs out, Jharkhand government in minority (Lead) - May 24, 2010
- Soren cabinet meets, takes some decisions - May 03, 2010
Tags: bharatiya janata party, bjp, bpl, budget, connection scheme, finance minister, former prime minister, loggerheads, mukti, party leader, poverty line, rajiv gandhi, rural areas, rural electrification, shibu soren, vajpayee