79.32 % Villages in Manipur Under Rural Electrification Program

In Manipur, five hill districts have the highest number of electrified villages namely, Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong district in the top four positions, according to the latest data.
Even though the state was experiencing shortfall in power supply, electricity department had been able to cover 79.32 percent of the total villages across the state. An official source said that the department had electrified 2002 villages till March of this current year under rural electrification programme.
In Manipur, rural electrification programmes like, Prime Minister’s Package under Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR), Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (R-APDRP), State Rural Electrification and others had been implemented with the target of achieving cent percent result. Meanwhile, Manipur Renewal Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) under the Manipur Science and Technology Department was supporting electrification programme for the remote areas with non-conventional energy sources, like solar, wind, biomass and others.
The source further disclosed that the demand of power had always surpassed the supply, adding that against the actual 170 Megawatt of power required, only 110 were met.
Another factor in the shortfall of power supply was transmission and distribution system, the source said. It may be mentioned that Manipur purchase 489.594 MU of energy from the Central Sector Power Agencies at a cost of Rs 107.64 crores and 44.786 MU of energy was received from the Loktak Project free of cost.
But the outstanding due payable to the Central Sector Agencies for purchased of power as on March 31 was Rs 19.5848 crores including Rs 17.2632 crore with the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) and Rs 2.3216 crore with Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB).