VIJAYAWADA: The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR and RD) department has directed the AP State Energy Efficiency Development Corporation (APSEEDCO) Ltd to take up a physical survey to evaluate the quantity of LED streetlights required in the proposed 17,000 YSR Jagananna Colonies. The government has also directed Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department to take all necessary steps to strengthen and revamp the LED street lighting programme (Jagananna Palle Velugu) in the State and ensure effective maintenance of streetlights by attending to the non-glowing ones within48 hours from the date of receipt of complaint.
“The principal secretary of PR and RD Gopal Krishna Dwivedi has directed the APSEEDCO to evaluate the required LED streetlights in the proposed YSR Jagananna colonies as part of providing best living standards to the beneficiaries. Besides this, around 4 lakh more LED streetlights will be sanctioned to the Gram Panchayats that have not been covered in the initiative so far and some additional lights to the villages that have already been covered, as per the request of Gram Panchayats,” said a statement from APSEEDCO on Friday.
The Gram Panchayats, as direct beneficiaries of the LED street-lighting, can approximately achieve the estimated savings of 260 million units of electricity annually worth `156 crore. The PR and RD department has also decided to “initiate immediate action” for transfer of operation, repair and maintenance of the lights from Energy Efficiency Services Ltd/ New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation Ltd to village secretariats headed by panchayat secretary.
The panchayat department has also requested the energy department to spare the energy assistants to attend to the complaints and resolve them within 48 hours. “Successful maintenance of LED streetlights is our main priority. Improved light quality will enhance safety, security and visual comfort in villages and provide better quality of life to people.
The government is keen on installing LED streetlights in every street and every village and bringing down complaints to an extremely minimum level in a phased manner,” PR and RD minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said.A web application of desktop and mobile phone based platform will be developed for ensuring transparency in handling the complaints and a toll free number will be established for reporting of non -glowing light complaints.