“Eight states have achieved 100 per cent saturation in household electrification under Saubhagya namely Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, J&K, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal. Thus, total 15 States in the country now have 100 per cent household electrification,” said R K Singh, Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy. Singh was speaking to media after the ‘Review, Planning & Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities’.
Saubhagya – ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana’ was launched in September, 2017 with the objective to provide access to electricity to all the remaining households in the country. The Minister informed that as many as 2.1 crore connections have been released under Saubhagya so far.
“Many more states like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh etc are left with small number of un-electrified households and expected to achieve saturation any time,” said the minister adding that with the present pace of electrification, Nation is expected to achieve 100 per cent saturation in the country by 31st December, 2018.
The Minister further said, “Achievement of 100 per cent household electrification in the country would be a major milestone in the direction to achieve 24×7 power for all. The Government is committed to ensure 24×7 access to electricity for all by 31st March 2019.” In order to ensure that no un-electrified household is left in the states which have already achieved 100 per cent household electrification, they have been requested to take up campaign to publicise the achievement all across the areas, so that anyone left out for any reasons may avail electricity connection under Saubhagya.
