VIJAYAWADA: The State government has decided to install four lakh more LED streetlights, in addition to the existing 25 lakh, in 2,000 rural habitations across various districts that were not covered under the initiative, named ‘Jagananna Palle Velugu’. The officials have also decided to entrust the responsibility of Complaint Monitoring System (CMS) of the streetlights to village secretariats as 80 per cent of the public representatives expressed dissatisfaction over the repair and maintenance of the lights.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy on Tuesday. According to a statement, the department officials said that 90 per cent of public representatives responded positively to the illumination quality of LED streetlights installed by Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), but 80 per cent of public representatives were not satisfied with the existing repairs and maintenance. In view of this, the government has decided to improve the Complaint Monitoring System of LED streetlights with an objective to bring down complaints.
Accordingly, 7,000 energy assistants (junior linemen) from village secretariats and 2.6 lakh village volunteers will be roped in, in coordination with AP State Energy Efficiency Development Corporation (APSEEDCO) and discoms, to improve the grievance redressal. Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that the government was aiming at illuminating every village in the State under the LED streetlight programme.