As many as 115 villages under Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (Mescom), including 35 villages in Dakshina Kannada, will be developed as model electrified villages and receive round-the-clock three-phase power supply. The other villages are those in Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts.
In his Independence Day address B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, said the State government was developing five villages in each Assembly constituency under the Model Electrified Villages Scheme initiated this year.
Additional transformers
As per the scheme, Mescom will strengthen the power distribution network in those villages by erecting additional transformers to match the load. Streetlights will have solar power or LED lights that will be controlled by respective gram panchayats using smart switches. Inaccessible areas in these villagers will be connected by solar power. Bill generation and bill collection mechanisms in such villages will be streamlined.
An official said Mescom has identified 115 villages. After assessing the needs of each of these, bids would be invited to take up respective works.
Various schemes
Mr. Rai said that development works were being taken up in 30 villages in Dakshina Kannada under the Mukhyamantri Gram Vikas Scheme. Each of these villages would receive ₹1 crore under the scheme. With Bapuji Seva Kendras coming up in gram panchayats, villagers can get land records, caste certificates and income certificates in their villages, he said.
Mr. Rai said 2.17 lakh families were being covered under the Anna Bhagya Scheme in the district. As many as 2.69 lakh children between one and 15 years were covered under the Ksheera Bhagya Scheme. So far, 348 people from middle class families have been registered under the Rajiv Gandhi Aarogya Bhagya Scheme – a health insurance scheme.
Mr. Rai was non-committal on the grant of DC (Depressed Class) Manna land for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and said the matter was under the consideration of the State government.
Dalit activists have been pressing for a grant of DC Manna land. Recently, activists were irked when Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha walked out of a meeting when they demanded action on grant of land.
