Power ministry approves R-APDRP proects worth Rs1,614 crore for 423 towns

The steering committee on Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (RAPDRP), headed by the secretary, ministry of power, has approved projects for 423 towns spread over Gujarat, Punjab, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The projects, approved at the steering committee's meeting on 30 June, are estimated to cost around Rs1,614.23 crore, the government said in a release.

The committee had earlier approved 599 projects at a total estimated cost of Rs1,947.70 crore for 13 states. With these the total cost of the 1,022 projects approved so far would total Rs3,561.93 crore.

These projects are for establishment of baseline data and IT applications for energy accounting/ auditing and IT based consumer service centres and aims at reduction of AT&C loss and improvement in consumer services. As such, the projects will give a boost to IT and electrical equipment sector.

RAPDRP is part of the fiscal stimulus package announced by the government of India and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) is the nodal agency for RAPDRP.

The focus of the programme is on actual, demonstrable performance in terms of AT&C loss reduction. Projects under the scheme are to be taken up in two parts in urban areas - towns and cities with population of more than 30,000 (10,000 in case of special category states). Part A projects are for establishment of baseline data and IT applications for energy accounting/ auditing and IT based consumer service centres and part-B is regular distribution strengthening projects.