Sorry tale of Jagjivan Jyothi Scheme

Visakhapatnam: Free power supply to eligible poor Dalit and tribals for meeting their basic needs remain only on paper in rural areas of Visakhapatnam district. Under Jagjivan Jyothi Scheme, the state government issued orders raising the bar of free power distribution from 50 units to 75 units per month to the SC and ST households in the end of April this year by covering 14.24 lakhs SC & ST households at a cost of Rs 206.14 crore per annum.

• SC/ST beneficiaries cry foul over laxity in implementation
• Demand that the government pay back Rs 1.10 crore arrears

Now, more than four months passed since the orders came into force with effect from June 1, 2017, Ankapalle Rural Electric Cooperative Society (RECS) has not taken steps for the implementation of the scheme so far in seven mandals and two municipal areas affecting 5,786 SC and 315 ST consumers in their area.

Even in the past, the track record of RECS is unsatisfactory over implementation of 50 units free power which was introduced by government in consonance with SC/ST Sub-Plan Act 2012. In this case, RECS should implement the scheme before collecting the electricity charges from the social welfare department and ITDA.

In this regard, RECS flouted the government orders and collected Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,100 per year on an average from every eligible SC and ST consumer from December 2013 to March 2017. If calculated, the total amount slapped on the eligible 2,400 consumers who utilised less than 50 units per month stand at Rs 1.10 crore approximately, according to the details procured under Right to Information Act.

Giving his take over non-implementation of Jagjivan Jyothi Scheme, Anakapalle RECS Managing Director Srinivasa Raju claimed that they have to receive orders from the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company. But it is learnt that APEPDCL is already implementing the scheme benefitting SC/ST consumers.

“We are providing 50 units free power to beneficiaries and planning to implement 75 units from this month,” he said in a doubtful manner while speaking to this correspondent. Putting the past and recent incidents into perspective, Samalochana Convener Chakradhar Buddha said RECS was known for laxity over providing 50 units free power scheme.

“RECS neither approached the nodal agency (Social welfare department in case of SCs and ITDA in case of STs) for implementation of SC/ST Sub-Plan Act,” he explained.

He further stated that only after persistent efforts by Ambedkarisame Punadi and Samalochana Organisations, RECS has written to the social welfare department in Visakhapatnam and ITDA Paderu about the issue and in turn, social welfare department forwarded the request to their head office in Guntur in March 2017. Meanwhile, the state government announced Jagjivan Jyothi Scheme in April 2017 increasing free power to 75 units.

Beneficiaries demand 75 units free power
The beneficiaries, along with Ambedkarisame Punadi and Samalochana Organisations, demanded that the government pay back Rs 1.10 crore arrears (electricity charges slapped on SC/ST consumers during December 2013 to March 2017) to the consumers and implement 75 units free power immediately.

When contacted district social welfare department deputy director Ramana Murthy said that Discoms are already implementing 75 units free power and RECS, too, should take it seriously. He also claimed that Rs 1.10 crore arrears were already cleared, but failed to explain the process of disbursing the amount to beneficiaries.

By Y Abhishek Paul