Outlining the efforts to promote Chhattisgarh as countrys power hub,Governor Sekhar Dutt today said the state plans to invest about Rs 17,000 crore in the next three years in electricity generation,transmission and distribution and also to speed up the pace of development in the tribal areas despite the pressure being mounted by the Maoists. Being a zero power-cut state,Chhattisgarh has already carved a niche for itself in the country. Two projects of the state Power Generation Company are nearing completion. 1500 MW of additional power will be generated with their completion,he said in his address to the Vidhan Sabha on the opening day of the budget session. Referring to rural electrification,the Governor said 97 per cent of villages have been electrified as against the national average of 83.80 per cent while villages in the remote and accessible locations were being electrified through solar power. He said 1.95 lakh irrigation pumps have been energized and farmers,using pumps up to five horse power,were being provided electricity free of cost. Throwing light on the law and order problem,Dutt said the state government has been able to speed up the process of development in tribal areas because of the peoples confidence in the security measures. In order to strengthen the force,more than 3000 new posts have been created in 2010 and 1007 posts for raising the 14th India Reserve Battalion. Besides,3000 new posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs) have also been created. I am confident that the people of the state will win the crucial ongoing fight against the Naxalites,he said and also listed out in detail other achievements and welfare initiatives launched by the Raman Singh government. The budget session of the assembly,which commenced today with the Governors address,is scheduled to continue till March 31. Chief Minister Raman Singh,who holds the finance portfolio,will present the annual budget for fiscal 2011-12 on February 26.
