Saturday, August 20 2005 20:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The nation today (Aug 20, 2005) remembered former Premier Rajiv Gandhi on his 61st birth anniversary, observed as 'Non-Conventional Energy Day' with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh setting a 1,50,000-MW electricity generation target in the next 10 years.

I expect an addition of 1,50,000 MW electricity generation in the next 10 years through coal and hydroelectric power," the Prime Minister said at an 'Akshay Urja Diwas' function in New Delhi.

It was 'unfortunate' that even today not all villages have received electricity, he said though the country had come a long way in achieving 1.27 lakh MW against 3,000 MW capacity before Independence.

Ways would be explored to install a community biomass plant in every village for providing electricity and cooking gas to the rural masses, he said stressing on Non-Conventional Energy (NCE) sources.

Rajiv Gandhi, through Panchayati Raj Institutions, promoted NCE, he said. Echoing his views, National Advisory Council chairperson Sonia Gandhi said people should rise above political interests for energy independence by encouraging NCE, which her late husband laid great emphasis on.

On the occasion, she distributed 50 specially designed tri-wheelers to the physically-challenged, including 29 women. She said accumulation of waste could pose a health hazard and, instead, energy should be generated from waste through use of science and technology.