In the league of Palakkad, Ernakulam and Thrissur 79 Assembly constituencies totally electrified Efforts to improve public distribution system: Isaac ALAPPUZHA: Alappuzha district was on Sunday declared totally electrified, taking the number of totally electrified districts in the State to four, including Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam. Making the declaration in the absence of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan at Eramalloor, near Aroor, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said the LDF government was taking the State towards realization of the dream of everyone in the State having shelter, food and light after starting off its tenure in continuation of sweeping reforms like the land reforms that the EMS Government of 1957 had initiated. Over two lakh people had been given shelter while with the completion of the EMS Housing Scheme, there would be no family without a house of its own. Fifty per cent of families in the State were getting rice at Rs.2 a kg, while the government was planning to extend this to all families, without any categorization of poverty lines, as part of its food security mission. A decision on this would be announced in the Assembly shortly, he said. While efforts were onto strengthen the public distribution system, the State had also seen to it that all retired person got pensions. One unfortunate block was in the ensuring of water for all, which was because the Railways was yet to accord permission for 10 out of 11 spots where water pipelines of the Japan Bank-backed water supply project could go through. The delay in granting permission could not be considered natural, given the current political circumstances, Dr. Isaac, who later released a master plan for development of Aroor by handing over the plan to actress Bhama. Central aid Union Minister of State for Power K.C. Venugopal, speaking after switching on a light to mark total electrification of the district, said the Union Government had given Rs.56 crore out of the sanctioned Rs.130 crore for seven districts under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana. The remaining seven districts would be included in the scheme soon, he said, adding that about Rs.500 crore had also been granted for similar electrification works in the three metro cities of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. Stating that it was unfortunate that certain people chose not to mention the Centre's contributions to the State in several major projects, Mr. Venugopal said politics should strictly be kept out of development. Electricity Minister A.K. Balan, delivering the presidential address, said 79 Assembly constituencies in the State had been declared totally electrified so far. Aim The aim was to extend this to 100 constituencies by the end of the LDF Government's tenure, while the remaining 40 would be covered in another six months, thus making the State the first in the country to be totally electrified. A.M. Arif, P. Thilothaman and C.K. Sadashivan, MLAs, District Collector P. Venugopal, KSEB chairman V.P. Joy and Malayalam cine actress Bhama also spoke.