The Orissa government has taken steps to arrange the required Rs 106 crore for achieving 100 per cent rural electrification in the state by March 2000. State energy secretary TK Mishra told the Financial Express that 72 per cent of the total 50,972 villages in Orissa have already been electrified. Of the Rs 106 crore needed to cover the remaining villages, the state government is going to provide Rs 20 crore and the remaining Rs 86 crore would be availed of from the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) . The Orissa government would stand guarantee for the loan.