ACCESS TO POWER SUPPLY UNDER SAUBHAGYA

THE CONTEXT: The government has informed Lok Sabha on July 20 that all households except few in the LWE areas have been electrified under the Saubhagya Scheme.

Analysis

• Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – Saubhagya in October, 2017
• The objective is to achieve universal household electrification for 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.
• All households were reported electrified by the States, except 18,734 households in Left Wing Extremists (LWE) affected areas of Chhattisgarh as on 31.03.2019.
• A total of 2.817 crore households have been electrified since the launch of Saubhagya, up to 31.03.2021.

ABOUT SAUBHAGYA SCHEME

• Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –“Saubhagya” is a scheme to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas.
• The objective of the ‘Saubhagya’ is to provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country.
• The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data.
• However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.
• The solar power packs of 200 to 300 Wp with battery bank for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas is also provided under the scheme.
• The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) will remain the nodal agency for the operationalization of the scheme throughout the country