State qualifies for addl grant
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 29: In a significant development, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved hundred percent household electrification in the State and thus qualified for receiving additional grant of 15 percent of the project cost under Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya).
This was informed by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and Renewable Energy R K Singh while talking to media persons after the Review, Planning and Monitoring (RPM) meeting with State and State power Utilities at New Delhi on Thursday.
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.
In order to ensure that no un-electrified household is left in Jammu and Kashmir, which has already achieved 100 percent household electrification, the State has been asked by the Union Ministry for Power and Renewable Energy to take up campaign to publish the achievement all across the areas so that anyone left out for any reasons may avail electricity connection under Saubhagya.
By achieving 100 percent electrification in Jammu and Kashmir, the State has also qualified for receiving additional grant of 15 percent of the project cost, sanction under Saubhagya.
With deeper penetration of electricity network, significant improvement is also expected in delivery of other essential services like education, health, communication etc in Jammu & Kashmir and thereby more opportunities for economic activities leading to employment generation, increase in income and poverty alleviation in the State.
Jammu & Kashmir is among the eight States, which have achieved 100 percent saturation in household electrification under Saubhagya. There are total 15 States in the country, which have 100 percent household electrification. As many as 2.1 crore connections have been released in the country under Saubhagya so far.
For creating healthy competition among various DISCOMs/Power Department of States, an award scheme has also been instituted with awards of more than Rs 300 crore to be won by States/DISCOMs.
The first DISCOM/Power Department to complete 100 percent household electrification will be felicitated with cash award of Rs 50 lakh for the employees and Rs 100 crore grant to be spent for distribution infrastructure. For the purpose of award, States have been divided into three categories and award would be given in each of these categories.
Stating that the nation is expected to achieve 100 percent saturation in the country by December 31, 2018, the Union Minister informed that State like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh etc were left with small number of un-electrified households and expected to achieve saturation any time.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
