Rs 6,487 crore sanctioned so far for electrification of 13.59 lakh households

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The government has approved works worth Rs 6,487 crore under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to electrify 13.59 lakh households across the country, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

The move is aimed at ensuring that every family, even in the remotest corners, has access to electricity, Minister of State for Power, Shripad Yesso Naik, said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

The RDSS focuses on covering left-out households based on surveys conducted by utilities.

These include Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) families under PM-JANMAN, tribal households under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA), Scheduled Caste families under PM-AJAY, and households in remote and border areas under the Vibrant Village Programme.

Alongside grid connections, the government is promoting renewable energy solutions. Under the New Solar Power Scheme, projects worth Rs 50 crore have been sanctioned to provide off-grid solar power to 9,961 households as of June 30.

This comes after the major success of the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), launched in October 2017.

The scheme closed on March 31, 2022, after providing electricity to around 2.86 crore households across India.

Uttar Pradesh led the way, electrifying 91.8 lakh households. Bihar followed with 32.5 lakh, while Madhya Pradesh (19.8 lakh), Rajasthan (21.2 lakh), and Odisha (24.5 lakh) also achieved remarkable progress.

Smaller states made significant strides too -- Sikkim electrified 14,900 households, Mizoram 27,970, and Himachal Pradesh 12,891, ensuring even remote hill regions were not left behind.

Other major contributors were Assam (23.2 lakh), Jharkhand (17.3 lakh), Maharashtra (15.1 lakh), West Bengal (7.3 lakh), and Chhattisgarh (7.9 lakh).

Naik said the government is committed to providing electricity to every willing household.

He added that a reliable and sustainable power supply is not only vital for improving the quality of life but also for boosting education, healthcare, and economic opportunities in rural and tribal regions.

--IANS

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