Officials are confident of completing rural electrification by December this year, the deadline set by the government, despite the floods.
Electrification has been completed in most of the state's 39,073 villages, except 214 villages in Katihar, Saharsa, Saran, Khagaria, West Champaran, Kaimur, Rohtas, Banka and Samastipur districts.
The biggest challenge is in Katihar where 97 villages, including three villages that have to be connected through solar energy, are still awaiting power. There are also 60 villages that had been electrified earlier but where the floods have snapped the power distribution infrastructure.
'The agency hired for undertaking the rural electrification work in 478 villages was carrying out the work at a good speed but because of the floods it couldn't do much in July and August,' said Hemant Kumar, chief project manager for Bihar, Rural Electrification Corporation. 'The ground work for the electrification work in uncovered villages would commence this month and by December all villages in Katihar would be electrified.'
The corporation is monitoring the rural electrification work in Bihar that the North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited are implementing.
The NBPCL has awarded the rural electrification work in Katihar to Cabcon India Private Limited, a Calcutta-based private firm.
Cabcon launched a special drive to provide food to the flood-affected people and is getting disinfectants sprayed in the villages where floodwater has receded. 'People of my panchayat will remain indebted for life for the work done by Cabcon India to help the people,' said Aale Rasool, mukhiya of Azamnagar panchayat in Katihar district.
REC Bihar chief project manager Hemant also said Cabcon 'did a very good job during the floods'.
Manish Shukla, the Bihar project head of Cabcon India, said: 'Our managing director Vijay Fomra took the initiative for helping the marooned people in the area where we are working and he himself monitors the work being done by our team members to help the people.'
Shukla added that the restoration work in affected villages was on in full pace and efforts would be made to complete the work as soon as possible.
