Lok Sabha Question No. 342 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-19
Subject: Supply of Electricity to All Households
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, KAMAL NATH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.342

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2018

## SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY TO ALL HOUSEHOLDS

342.   SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA: SHRI KAMAL NATH:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Union  Government  has  recently  admitted  that  their responsibility  is  to  connect  households  and  villages  to  the  power  grid across  the  country  and  not  taking  guarantee  to  provide  electricity  to them;
- (b) if so, the facts and details in this regard;
- (c) whether there are several discrepancies between the actual and on paper status of electrification across the country;
- (d) if so, the facts and details in this regard;
- (e) whether  the  Union  Government  proposes  to  ensure  access  to electricity in all the households and villages with consistent supply; and
- (f) if so, the details in this regard?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

( SHRI  R. K. SINGH )

(a) & (b) : Electricity  is  in  the  Concurrent  list  in  the  Constitution.  Even after  68  years  of  Independence  there  were  thousands  of  villages  where electricity  had  not  reached  and  therefore,  Government  of  India  decided that all the villages which had still not been connected with electricity be electrified in 1000 days, beginning August 15, 2015. Funds were provided by  the  Government  of  India  as  grant  to  the  tune  of  sixty  per  cent  (85 percent for the special category States). In addition to the grant, loan of 30%  (10%  for  the  special  category  states)  was  also  provided  by  Rural Electrification  Corporation  (REC),  Power  Finance  Corporation  (PFC)    or other Financial Institutions(FIs)/Banks.  The work was done

..........2.

through  the  States.  The  States  Government  provided  the  list  of  unelectrified  villages  and  reported  their  electrification  when  they  were electrified.  Apart  from  funds,  Government  of  India  also  provided  other additional  assistance  required,  for  example  provision  of  helicopters  for heli  lifting  equipment  to  the  difficult  areas  in  Jammu  and  Kashmir  and Arunachal Pradesh, assistance through REC for procurement of equipment etc.

Government of India also decided that benefit of electrification  should not be limited to villages but access to electricity must  be  provided  to  all  households,  and    launched    a  scheme  ' Saubhagya'  for  this  purpose.  Under  this  scheme,  Government  of  India gives funds to the States to the extent of 60% (85% for special category States)  as  grant;  and  additional  grant  of  15%    (5%  for  special  category State) with the objective of connecting every household in a time bound manner.  The  target  date  is  31 st   March,  2019  as  per  the  scheme,  but Government  are  determined  to  complete  the  work  by  December,  2018. The States have reported 3.60 crore households as un-electrified on 11th October, 2017 when the scheme was launched. As and when the houses get electrified,  the State send their progress report and also upload the data on the designated portal.

(c) & (d) : All  the  un-electrified  census  village  have  been  electrified  on 28.04.2018 ahead of the deadline.  All remaining un-electrified households are targeted  for electrification by  31st March,  2019.    The  data  of households and progress are updated by the States/DISCOMs in the portal for  information  of  all  the  stakeholders.  If  and  when  any  discrepancy  is reported, concerned States have it examined and get it rectified, where necessary.

(e) to (f) : Government of India has taken a joint initiative with all the States/UTs  for  providing  24x7  power  to  all  households,  industrial  & commercial  consumers  and  adequate  supply  of  power  to  agriculture consumers  as  per  State  policy.  All  the  State  Governments  and  Union Territories  have  signed  the  '24x7  Power  For  All'  document  to  provide electricity to all from 1 st  April, 2019.   Government of India supplements the  efforts  of  the  States  through  its  schemes  including  Deen  Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar YojanaSaubhagya.

***************