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MUMBAI, India, October 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

In 2015, Western Unionraised INR30 lakhstoenableThe Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)to light up 15 villages across India 

The Western Union Company, a leader in global payment services, aims to light up 15 more remote villages in India this Diwali. Through its collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and building on last year's campaign's success, Western Union will make solar-panel powered electricity available to residents in Jharkhand's villages.

     (Photo: [ http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130515/613588 ] )

     (Photo: [ http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151020/278572 ] )
Western Union will contribute up to INR 100^[1] for each transaction received from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealandbetween Oct. 1 and Nov. 1, 2016. The company will contribute a minimum of INR 20 lakhs, and up to INR 30 lakhs towards this initiative. Last year, with support from TERI, 15 villages across three states in India (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh) received electricity, many for the very first time.

Sohini Rajola, Regional Vice President, India&South Asia at Western Union, said, "Lack of electricity is one of the major impediments to economic development in India. At Western Union, we are committed to promoting the well-being of the communities we serve and we are happy to continue the "Light up a Village" campaign this year. We are hopeful that this initiative will improve the living conditions of the villagers in rural India and will promote further social and economic development."

Mr. Amit Kumar, Senior Director, Lighting a Billion Lives,atTERI said, "The Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) programme was started in 2008, and since then we have impacted a lot of lives. Through our association with Western Union, we look forward to reaching many more remote villages as we did last year."

During this period, remittance receivers will also have a chance to win an amount equivalent of one year of their electricity bill. Eligible participants^[2] need to produce an electricity bill in their name for any month in 2016 to calculate the yearly bill (12 times of any one bill) subject to a maximum prize amount of Rs 10,000. In case winners are not able to produce an electricity bill, they will still receive a cash prize of Rs 5,000 in replacement. A total of 500 winners will be selected in 5 draws. 

Notes to Editor: 

Villages lit up in 2015 

 Installation State District Block Villages Technology Status Bihar Purnea Rupauli Topra, 200 IDES* Completed Makurjaan Masjid Tola, Laxmipur Chharapatti Bihar Purnea Rupauli Laukahi, 200 IDES Completed Biranchiya, Patraha, Jaynagar Uttar Pradesh FazilNagar, Kashya, Dhaurahra, Kushinagar, Shipur Dinapatti, Tamkahi, Pandeypatti, Bahraich Biharkhurd, Panditpurwa 5 SCS* Completed Andhra Vishakhapatnam Chintapali Erranapali, 3 SCS Installation Pradesh Jadumuru, in Progress Neemalapallem 

IDES - Integrated Domestic Energy Systems (Individual solar home lighting systems with forced draft Improved cook stove)

SCS - Solar Charging Stations (A unit having facility to charge 50 solar lamps which can light up 50 homes in a village)

About Western Union 

The Western Union Company (NYSE: [ WU ]) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of June 30, 2016, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of over 500,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories and over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks, and included the capability to send money to billions of accounts. In 2015, The Western Union Company completed 262 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $82 billion of principal between consumers, and 508 million business payments. For more information, visit [ http://www.westernunion.com ].

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1. 100 Rs for transactions above Rs 100,000, 25 Rs for transactions between Rs60,000 and Rs100,000, and Rs1 for all other transactions.

2. All who receive money of any amount via Western Union® services from the United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Australia , New Zealand, Singapore or Malaysia and paid out in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka or Kerala with a valid Money Transfer Control Number ("MTCN") during the Promotion Period will be automatically eligible to participate and entered in a draw to win an amount equivalent of one year of their electricity bill as described above.

SOURCE Western Union