Through schemes like DDUGJY and SAUBHAGYA, India electrified all census villages by 2018 and 2.86 crore households by 2019. The effort continues under the RDSS, which has sanctioned electrification for 13.65 lakh more households.
The Government of India has been supporting states in providing quality power to all consumers through schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), and the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
Electrification Schemes and Objectives
According to the Ministry of Power, the objective of DDUGJY was to connect every inhabited un-electrified census village with electricity and to strengthen the rural electricity distribution system. The objective of SAUBHAGYA was to achieve universal household electrification by providing electricity connections to all willing un-electrified households in rural areas and all willing poor households in urban areas in the country by March, 2019. The definition of 'electrified village' is as per the Rural Electrification Policy, 2006; however, under SAUBHAGYA, electrification of all households was undertaken, which continues under the ongoing RDSS scheme.
Achievements and Scheme Completion
As reported by the States/ UTs, all the inhabited un-electrified census villages in the country were electrified by 28th April, 2018. A total of 18,374 villages were electrified under DDUGJY, including 49, 25,124 Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. Under DDUGJY and thereafter under SAUBHAGYA, electrification of all willing households was completed by 31st March, 2019, as reported by the States/ UTs. A total of 2.86 crore households were electrified during the SAUBHAGYA period. Both the schemes stand closed as of March 31, 2022, as stated in the release.
Continued Efforts under RDSS
Under the RDSS, on grid electrification works amounting to Rs. 6,521 Cr. have been sanctioned for 13.65 lakh households including households belonging to Particularly vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) identified under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), households belonging to Scheduled Tribes (STs) under DA-JGUA (Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan), households belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) under Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) and households in remote & border areas under Vibrant Village Program (VVP), wherever found feasible. Out of the above, a total of 2.93 lakh households have been electrified to date. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)