States have resolved to provide 24X7 power by March 2019: Piyush Goyal

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal. Image courtesy: PIB[/caption]"All the states agreed to provide 24x7 power to all the people by March 2019 or earlier," Goyal said in Panaji after attending a two-day conference of power and mining ministers of states and union territories."Besides, all the states except Left-Wing-Extremism-affected ones, also resolved to electrify all the remaining unelectrified villages by December 31, 2016," he said.In a landmark development, all the states resolved to procure only 'smart meters' which are tamper-proof and communication-enabled, Goyal said."The cost of these smart meters has been brought down by sixty percent from Rs 8,000 to Rs 3,223 per unit as a result of central procurement, and the endeavour is to go for only such metres in the future for Rs 25 crore consumers in the country," the Union minister said.Goyal also announced launch of the helpline '1912' for consumer complaints redressal across the country."Hydro-power policy was also discussed and the meeting sought to work out ways of reviving small hydro-power projects with cooperation from the states," he said, adding that a committee set up for this purpose will submit its recommendations by 30 September.