Chhapra, May 3: Greenpeace, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) working for the promotion of solar energy, released the results of social audit of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in Saran district at a function last evening.

The report read that the scheme has miserably failed to achieve its vision and objectives of providing energy to all in the district. The findings of the audit were released at the first public hearing jointly organised by Greenpeace at Bariarpur village.

Consultant of Greenpeace Navin Mishra said Greenpeace has conducted a social audit of the scheme across nine villages from nine blocks — Sonpur, Parsa, Manjhi, Marhaurrah, Lahladpur, Issuapur, Nagra, Dighwara and Taraiyan — and found “inconsistencies” in what the scheme claims.

He said: “The RGGVY website claims that Saran has achieved cent per cent electrification, however, the survey found that 78 per cent of the population are still living in the dark. An overwhelming 87 per cent people complained of low voltage and erratic power supply. The survey revealed that though the government has put up boards of the scheme in all villages, none of them received the promised 6 to 8 hours of electricity everyday.”

Media advisor of Greenpeace Munna Mishra said: “The centralised nature of the scheme resulted in lack of coordination among the implementing agencies. In some villages, though half the respondents knew that the scheme gives free connections to BPL households, they had to pay Rs 100 to Rs 500 for getting the connection.”

This has resulted in numerous cases of wire theft, burnt transformers and people repairing transformers on their own. Around 93 per cent people did not know whom to approach with their complaints. Around 1,023 villages in Saran district have been incorporated in the RGGVY project.

The villages under the scheme are of unelectrified and deelectrified categories. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited is the implementing agency in Saran. Total Rs 4,265.9 crore under the scheme has been allocated to Bihar in which 80.9 per cent of the amount has been released.

During a public hearing Sohan Manjhi of Kuraiya village under Dighwara block said: “We received power supply for just one day in 1980. After 30 years, we got power supply in 2010. The village has received supply for only five days during 64 years of Independence.”

He said: “In 2010, under the RGGVY, electricity came in the village and after four days the transformer burnt. The villagers managed to repair the transformer.”

Binda Rai, a farmer from Issuapur, said: “Out of 300 BPL families only eight were provided with connection. The burnt transformer at our village has not been replaced for the past one year.”