Narendra Modi launches 'Saubhagya' scheme; promises complete electrification of India by December 2018.
India has always had a rural economy and since independence successive governments have tried to improve the rural infrastructure including energy infrastructure.
In India, the demand for electricity has always been more than the supply. The importance of electricity as a prime driver of growth is very well acknowledged.
- Rural electrification is often considered to be the backbone of the rural economy.
- The impact of rural electrification can be seen on improved farm productivity, improved health and education, improved communication and economic development through creation of employment in rural areas which traditionally depend on agriculture related income generation activities.
To meet the demand of rural as well as urban india, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the 'Saubhagya' (good fortune) scheme under the 'Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana' on the occasion of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay's birth centenary.
ABOUT THE SCHEME
- The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, or Saubhagya, complements the government’s aggressive village electrification programme, the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana launched in July 2015, under which 78% of 18,000 villages have been electrified.
- However, last-mile connectivity, the cost of which has to be met by consumers, was proving to be a hurdle in achieving the goal of lighting every household. The goal is to achieve electricity for all by 31 December 2018.
- Modi promised complete electrification in the country, saying an amount of Rs 16,000 crore has been allocated to bring about a monumental change in the lives of the poor.
- According to an official statement, the total outlay of the Saubhagya project is Rs 16,320 crore while the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) is Rs 12,320 crore. The outlay for rural households is Rs 14,025 crore while GBS is Rs 10,587.50 crore. For urban households, the outlay is Rs 2,295 crore while GBS is Rs 1,732.50 crore.
- States completing electrification of all households by December 31, 2018, will get an incentive to convert 50 percent of the loan into a grant.
- The beneficiaries for free electricity connections will be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. Non-SECC candidates will pay Rs. 500 for connection. This is expected to be recovered in 10 instalments.
BENEFITS OF GOOD FORTUNE PLAN
- Electricity will be available to all households easily
- The choice of kerosene will now be electricity
- Educational services will improve
- Health services will improve
- The means of communication will be better
- Public safety will improve
- This will increase employment opportunities.
- There will be improvement in the quality of life, especially women will get access to everyday activities.
The Yojana will include access to electricity to all willing households, substitution to kerosene, improvement in educational and health services, improvement in communication and public safety. The scheme will also bring in increased job opportunities and better quality of life, especially for women in daily chores.
