Friday, January 6 2006 19:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The country would need one lakh MW of power more, in addition to the present availability of 1.43 lakh MW, to provide electricity to all the villages by 2012,Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said here today (Jan 6,2006).

By 2007, all the semi-urban areas in the country would get power under the rural electrification programme of then Central Government, and the entire country will get power by 2012, he said in his address at the second day of the four-day multi-media campaign, titled 'Destination India', organized by the Central Government here this evening.

In his brief speech,the Minister said various welfare schemes launched by the present United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre should reach the people in right earnest.

Dasmunsi said the credit for various anti-poverty programmes, now being implemented by the Union Government should go to former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, who launched, among other things, the 20-point programme for the masses. The country was now witnessing a 'revolution' in hi-tech areas, software, hardware and telecom and the credit for this should really go to the late Rajiv Gandhi.