A State Government Corporation under the nomenclature "West Bengal Rural Energy Development Corporation Limited" has been set up for the exclusive works of rural electrification in the State in terms of announcement by the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech.

The authorised share capital is Rupees Fifty crores only divided into five lakh equity shares of Rs. 1,000/- (Rupees One thousand) each.

Dr. Sujan Chakraborty, MLA is the present chairman.

MAIN OBJECTIVES :

• To undertake, carry out, promote and sponsor Rural Energy Development, including any programme for promoting rural electrification and to incur any expenditure on any programme on rural electrification and to assist execution and promotion there of either directly or through an independent agency or in any other manner.  "Rural Electrification" includes any programme for promoting electricity supply and distribution in rural areas and the words "Rural Area" includes such areas as may be regarded as rural areas under section 35CC of the income Tax Act. 1961 or any of the law relating rural electrification for the time being in force or as may be regarded by the Board of Directors as "Rural Area". The company may, at the boards discretion, in order to implement any of the above mentioned objects or purposes transfer and divest the ownership of its property in favour of any public or local body or authority or Central or State Govt. or any public institution or trust or any body or organisation recognised under any law for the time being in force as the Board of Directors may decide with the approval of the State Government.

• To promote social and rural development by providing energy electricity through conventional and non-conventional sources of energy as an input for productive uses in Agriculture, Industries and also to improve quality of life of the rural people by supplying energy to rural houses and huts, shops, community centre, public places in villages of the State of West Bengal.

• To promote, own acquire, erect, construct, establish, maintain improve, manage, alter, carryon, control, take on hire/lease Power Plants, Co-Generation Power Plants, Energy Conservation Projects, Power Houses, Sub-Transmission and distribution system for generation, distribution, and supply of electrical energy and buy, sell supply, exchange, market, function as a licensee and deal in electrical power energy with the State Electricity Board, State Government, Appropriate Authorities licensees, Electricity/Energy Cooperative specific industrial units and other consumers for industrial, commercial, agricultural household and any other purpose in West Bengal and elsewhere and in any area to be specified by the State Government, Central Government, Local Authority, State Electricity Boards and any other component authority in accordance with the provision of Indian Electricity Act, 1910 and/or Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 or any statutory modifications or re-enactment thereof and rules made thereunder.

• To construct, lay down establish, fix and carry out all necessary power sub stations, cables, wires, lines accumulators, lamps works and to generate, import, export, buy indent sell and deal in electricity, wires, lines, cables, AAC/ACSR and all other types of conductors covered, insulated or bare etc.

• To acquire and take over from WBSEB, DPL and other agencies and cooperatives the transmission and distribution system in rural areas of West Bengal.

• To create Subsidiary Companies at District or Sub-districts level for the programme of  Rural Energy Development. To organise formation of Rural Energy Development Cooperatives at Districts/ Subdistricts level with object of Rural Energy Development.

• Recently, the Government has taken a major step forward in taking the planning and execution of electricity to the district and sub-district levels. Translating its resolve of decentralisation of development schemes and giving effect to the 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, the Power Department has established Rural Energy Committees at the district and block levels. The R.E. committees are changed with the Powers and functions to oversee planning and implementation of all aspects of rural energy - starting from construction of additional transaction lines to meter reading and revenue collection. The objectives of these committees is to ensure peoples participation in the development of rural energy. Possibly, these committees are the first of their kind in the country.