Imphal, Sep 10: The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Government of Manipur has succeeded in the implementation of wide scale installation of Solar Lighting Systems in all villages under the Gram Panchayats of the state during the previous financial year.
According to an official source, the RD & PR department following the adoption of the schemes for the installation of Solar Lighting Systems in the rural areas under the administration of Gram Panchayat deposited a total of Rs. 5 crores with the MANIREDA out of the total share of the Gram Panchayat amounting to Rs. 2646.69 lakhs for installation of 1515 numbers of Solar Lighting Systems in all Gram Panchayats which include 428 numbers of Solar Lamps in Imphal East (56 Gram Panchayats), 297 Solar Lamps in Imphal West (43 Gram Panchayats), 471 Solar Lamps in Thoubal (42 Gram Panchayats) and 309 Solar Lamps in Bishnupur (24 Gram Panchayats) with an total expenditure of Rs. 5 crores during the last financial year.
On the other hand, the official source further mentioned that the state government under Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has released a sum of Rs. 3113.75 lakhs to the four Zilla Parishads and 165 Gram Panchayats on September 9, 2010 for implementation of schemes by the ZPs and GPs under the 2nd Finance Commission Award for the year 2009-10 and said funds have been utilized in various aspects of development activities as per the implemented action plan of the state government for the upliftment of rural areas, the official source added.