Lok Sabha Question No. 1957 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: Operational Power Projects
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Shri Ummeda Ram Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1957 ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025

## OPERATIONAL POWER PROJECTS

†1957.  SHRI UMMEDA RAM BENIWAL:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) the  number,  objectives  and  key  features  of  the  currently  operational  power projects in the country and their contribution in rural electrification;

(b) the present status of electricity coverage during the last ten years in the State of Rajasthan including Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha Constituency along with the number of electrified villages and households;

(c) the  number  of  electricity  connections  provided  to  BPL  and  other  families thereunder;

(d) whether  there  is  any  special  provision  to  provide  free  or  subsidised  electricity connections to BPL and other families and if so, the details thereof;

(e) the time of the last survey conducted for deprived households and the number of pending applications in the districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer and Balotra;

(f) whether  any  budget  has  been  allocated  for  household  connections  in  these districts and if so, the details thereof and the proposed hamlets, district-wise; and

(g) the steps being taken to ensure the quality and reliability of electricity supply in remote areas?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

(a) : Presently,  there  is  adequate  availability  of  power  in  the  country.  The  installed generation capacity in the country is 484.81 GW and 4.95 lakh circuit kilometer (ckm) of transmission lines (220KV and above) with transformation capacity of 13.59 lakh MVA has been operational.

Electricity being a concurrent subject, the supply and distribution of electricity to the consumers including rural areas is the responsibility of respective State Government/ power  distribution  utility.However,  Government  of  India  (GoI)  has  supplemented  the efforts  of  the  States  to  help  them  strengthen  power  distribution  infrastructure  and achieve rural electrification.

………2.

(b) & (c) : Under  DDUGJY,  a  total  of  427  villages  were  electrified  and  electricity connections were provided to 1,49,854 nos. of Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in the State of Rajasthan (including Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha Constituency).  Further, a total of 21,27,728 households were electrified during SAUBHAGYA period in the State of Rajasthan (including Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha Constituency).  As reported by the State, all the inhabited un-electrified census villages were electrified under DDUGJY and all willing households were electrified during SAUBHAGYA.

Government  of  India  is  further  supporting  the  State  for  grid  electrification  of households  left-out  during  SAUBHAGYA,  under  the  ongoing  scheme  of  Revamped Distribution  Sector  Scheme  (RDSS).    This  includes  electrification  of  all  Particularly Vulnerable  Tribal  Group  (PVTG)  households  identified  under  PM-JANMAN  (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) and all tribal households identified under DA-JGUA (Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan).    Under  the  scheme,  works amounting  to  Rs  1,764  Cr  have  been  sanctioned  for  electrification  of  4,39,177 households for the State of Rajasthan of which 95,986 households have been electrified till date.

(d) & (e) : Providing subsidy support to various categories of consumers comes within the purview of State Government. As reported by the State, the last survey to identify balance household to be electrified was conducted in FY 2024-25. Further, the list of pending  applications  is  a  dynamic  data  which  is  maintained  by  the  respective distribution utilities.

## (f) : The details of pending households identified by the State to be electrified in the districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer and Balotra are as below:

|   SN | District   |   Proposed habitations (nos) | Sanctioned households   |   Sanctioned cost (Rs Cr) |
|------|------------|------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|    1 | Barmer     |                         3593 | 71,864                  |                    186.37 |
|    2 | Balotra    |                         1219 | 18,999                  |                    132.57 |
|    3 | Jaisalmer  |                         5076 | 34,455                  |                    141.03 |

(g) : As  per  Rule  (10)  of  the  Electricity  (Rights  of  Consumers)  Rules,  2020,  the distribution licensee shall supply 24x7 power to all consumers. However, the Commission may specify lower hours of supply for some categories of consumers like agriculture. The Rules are applicable for all States and for all areas including urban and rural areas.

As reported in part (a) above, GoI has supported States to help them strengthen distribution infrastructure works so as to achieve the objective of providing quality and reliable supply of power to all households. Further, since most of the left-out households are  in  remote,  hilly  and  forest  areas,  the  norms  for  electrification  under  RDSS  were relaxed and the ceiling limit for cost of electrification has been enhanced. Grid based electrification works have been sanctioned under RDSS wherever found feasible as per the revised norms. Till date, works amounting to Rs. 6,486 Cr. have been sanctioned for electrification  of  13.59  lakh  households  under  RDSS  including  households  located  in remote areas.

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