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India, Asian Development Bank Sign $300 Million Loan Agreement To Upgrade Power Distribution Network In Uttar Pradesh
The ADB headquarters in Manila
India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday (18 December) signed a $300 million loan agreement to upgrade rural power distribution networks to provide reliable electricity supply to consumers in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
The loan agreement was signed between Dr C S Mohapatra, additional secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Takeo Konishi, country director of ADB's India Resident Mission.
After signing the loan agreement, Mohapatra said that upgrading the distribution network will help improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply, reduce the aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses and restore the financial sustainability of the rural electricity supply in UP.
“The project will establish separate feeders for electricity supply to agriculture and residential consumers to promote better rationing and utilization of unmetered power; strengthen financial management of the state power distribution entity and improve bill collection in rural areas through community engagement involving the women’s self-help groups,” said Konishi.
The feeder separation network to be established over 17,000 km for agriculture and domestic consumers will facilitate the use of solar energy to meet the agriculture demand, increase in electricity supply duration to rural residential consumers, and energy and water conservation.
In addition, the project will improve the gender inclusivity, corporate governance, and financial management capacity of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), the ministry said.
To improve bill collection, the project will pilot test engaging rural women through women’s self-help groups as community collection agents which will also help increase their family income.
The MFF is proposed to be complemented by a $2 million technical assistance (TA) grant from ADB’s TA Special Fund and the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to strengthen the gender inclusivity and institutional capacity building of Uttar Pradesh power sector.
