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It was a bright day for Sunanda of Kavalpaduru village in Bantwal Taluk when Union Minister for Law and Justice M Veeappa Moily put on the power supply switch that lit three electric bulbs in her house for the first time.

About 110 houses in Kavalpaduru Gram Panchayat will get electricity due to the initiatives of Rotary Club Bantwal which is on a drive to light the village under “Rotary Sampoorna Vidyut Gram Yojane.”

About 40 houses have received electricity when the Union Minister put on the power supply and inaugurated the drive symbolically. The rest of the houses will receive electricity by the end of April as electric poles have yet to be erected, said Gram Panchayat Member Prabhakar Amin speaking to Deccan Herald. He further added that the wiring for all the houses is complete.

About 9 houses have been provided with solar lights by Rotary Club as the houses have thatched roof and are unfit for electrification.

“I used to have a lot of problems with lack of electricity. My children used to study in lamplight. This solar light is like a boon to me,” says Yashodha.

Speaking after the symbolic inauguration, Veerappa Moily commented that the initiative taken by Rotary was a good one. Responding to the allegation that Central Government is not assisting the State Government in reducing power prices, he said that the State Government should have a will to implement programmes. Wind energy is a good alternative for power generation. Import policy on coal is also liberal, he said.

Responding on poor housing facilities of the people in villages, he said that the Indira Awas Yojana is not being properly implemented in the State. The administration should be sharp, he pointed out and questioned why MGNREGS cannot be used for development of houses.

Speaking on the Gutka packet ban, he said that an alternative should be sought by the areca growers. Campco should buy Areca from small time growers. A good scheme is needed regarding the purchase of arecanut, he said.