Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh launching Rajiv Gandhi Illuminating scheme for hill towns advancement (RISHTA) at Shimla on 20th August 2015.As a tribute to former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi on his 71st birth anniversary, Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh launched ‘RISHTA’ an efficient smart street lighting project at Shimla today which makes Himachal Pradesh the first State in North India to do so.Known as LED based, Energy, Efficient and CCMS (Centralised Control and Monitoring System) Smart Street Lighting Scheme for Urban Local bodies, it is named as Rajiv Gandhi Illuminating Scheme for Hill Town Advancement (RISHTA). The Urban Development (UD) Department has taken this innovative in collaboration with EESL (Energy Efficient Services Limited) a joint venture company formed by four power sectors i.e National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
Under the scheme the EESL will invest all the capital upfront. The investment will be paid back my municipalities over a period of seven years from energy and cost savings that accrue as a result of installation of energy efficient LED lights, operation and maintenance through highly sophisticated CCMS.The Chief Minister said that the scheme would be immediately launched in Shimla, Dharamsala, Sundernagar, Paonta Sahib, Hamirpur, Ghumarwin and Manali and the rest of the towns would be lighted well before 31st March 2016. He said that the energy efficient smart system would not only improve safety conditions for vehicular traffic and pedestrians but it would be cost effective, quality based and assured service to the urbanites.Virbhadra Singh said a total of 63,484 street light fixtures in all the ULB’s would be replaced by LEDs to achieve 45-55% energy savings besides savings of Rs 3.20 crore per annum in monetary terms. The total savings within a year in terms of operation and maintenance would be Rs 6.5 crore.
It would discipline switch off and switch on procedures and the Operation and Maintenance of the LEDs will be through CCMS besides replacing old and obsolete lightning system.He appreciated the efforts of the UD for the initiative of replacing all old expensive fixtures with LEDs which would be fully computerised and smart service delivery to the urban population through e-district project, free Wi- Fi services and for introducing state of the art municipal solid waste management system besides initiatives for mechanical sweeping to keep our towns and cities waste free.The Chief Minister said that all the towns and cities should be waste free and have all basic facilities besides proper system for disposal of waste. The Chief Minister assured filling of vacant posts in Urban Development department.
Urban Development and Housing Minister Shri Sudhir Sharma thanked the Chief Minister for launching the scheme and also briefed about the new initiatives the department has taken or was going to take in near future. He said that the State level agreement with EESL had been signed and the remaining urban local bodies and the rest of the towns would be covered by 2015-2016.He informed that Himachal has become the front runner to have this kind of innovative approach to move the urban areas of the state towards smart governance.Additional Chief Secretary Urban Development Smt Manisha Nanda and Director Urban Development Capt J.M. Pathania welcomed the Chief Minister and detailed about the Scheme. They also detailed about the initiative of the department in waste management Irrigation and Public Health Minister Smt. Vidya Stokes, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Shri Nand Lal and Shri Mansa Ram, MLA Shri Balbir Verma, Deputy Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Shimla Shri Tikendar Panwar, Managing Director EESL, Shri Saurabh Kumar were also present on the occasion amongst others.