Lok Sabha Question No. 4544 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-19
Subject: Electrification of Houses under Saubhagya Scheme
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Shri Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4544

## ANSWERED ON 19.03.2026

## ELECTRIFICATION OF HOUSES UNDER SAUBHAGYA SCHEME

## 4544.  SHRI RAMASAHAYAM RAGHURAM REDDY:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  has  any  running  schemes  or  programmes  after  the closure  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Sahaj  Bijli  Har  Ghar  Yojana  (Saubhagya)  to  ensure electrification of houses that remained pending under the said scheme, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has conducted any review of the efficacy of the said scheme to assess whether electrification  has  been  sustained  during  the  last  three years, if so, the details thereof;

- (c) the saturation percentage of electrification in tribal villages among the 18734 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas that remained incomplete under the said scheme; and
- (d) the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  renewable  energy sources particularly solar power in remote and tribal areas as sustainable alternatives in household electrification projects?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

(a) to (d): Electricity being a concurrent subject, supply and distribution of electricity to consumers in all areas is within the purview of the respective State Government/distribution utility. Government of India (GoI) has been supplementing the efforts  of  the  States  in  providing  access  to  quality  power  to  all  consumers  earlier through schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) launched in 2014, Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) launched in October, 2017 and currently under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) launched in 2021.

As reported by the States/UTs, all the inhabited un-electrified census villages in  the  country  were  electrified  by  28 th   April,  2018.  A  total  of  18,374  villages  were electrified  under  DDUGJY.  Under  DDUGJY  and  thereafter  under  SAUBHAGYA,  as reported by the States, electrification (on gird and off grid) of all willing unelectrified households was completed wherein a total of 2.86 crore households were electrified, including households belonging to Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas. Both the schemes stand closed as on 31.03.2022.

………2.

Government  of  India  is  now  supporting  States  for  grid  electrification  of households  left-out  during  SAUBHAGYA,  under  RDSS.  In  addition,  all    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. Till date, works amounting to Rs. 6,521 Cr. have been sanctioned for grid electrification of 13,65,139 households under RDSS based on proposal submitted by the States including 7,946 households in LWE affected areas in Chhattisgarh.

Since, most of the left out households are in remote, hilly and forest areas, the norms for electrification under RDSS have been relaxed and the ceiling limit for cost of electrification was enhanced. Grid based electrification works have been sanctioned under RDSS wherever found feasible as per the revised norms. Further, regular review meetings are convened with all stakeholders to facilitate smooth execution of works and early achievement of targets.

Further, under New Solar Power Scheme, works have been sanctioned for 8,823 PVTG and 4,099 tribal  households  for  off-grid  solar  based  electrification  under  PMJANMAN and DA-JGUA, respectively.

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