Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) is likely to adopt foreign practices to boost the power scenario across the state.

BSEB had organised an exchange programme with rural utilities services (RUS) of United States today to strengthen power distribution and rural electrification. The experts from RUS are on a daylong visit to Patna.

The delegation from the US (picture right) included Howard W. Barnes, Ronald Jaynes Carey, Kenneth Jay Lutz, Larry Alan Belluzo and Melissa Shea Fraser.

The US delegation watched the board’s presentation on the present state of affairs and wanted to know how rural electrification is being carried out. They also shared their views with board officials on how to improve the situation.

The foreign team explained the best practices being followed in distribution and rural electrification in the United States.

The energy department’s principal secretary Ajay V. Nayak, in his inaugural speech, said: “We have embarked on several initiatives with the Centre’s help and launched Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) to provide electricity to the remotest village. Only five per cent of villages were electrified at the time of the launch of the scheme.” The RGGVY was launched in 2005.

Nayak said: “The state government will emphasise on renewable energy. The challenge is how we can use our resources and transform the rural areas.”