Centre approves electrification of 12 lakh households under Saubhagya plan in UP
The Centre has approved electrification of 12 lakh households in Uttar Pradesh under Saubhagya scheme, which ended on March 31, 2019, with certain conditions. UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma had met Union Power Minister R K Singh to seek approval for electrification of these households under the scheme.
In September 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ambitious scheme Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana 'Saubhagya' to provide electricity connections to families in rural and urban areas. The deadline for the scheme was March 31, 2019.
"This has reference to the proposal received from the REC to consider the request of the UP state for electrification of 12,00,000 willing household under Saubhagya Scheme. In this connection, it is to convey that the state may electrify these households," the Centre said in a letter to the UP government. However, the centre has put certain conditions, the letter said.
"Un-electrified households, unwilling earlier but are willing now, should have been identified by the states before March 31, 2019, and the defaulter whose connection has been disconnected in the past can not be covered the scheme," the letter added. It further said the said households should be electrified preferably before October 2 2019, and in any case by December 31, 2019.
"These households are those which did not come forward when the scheme was going on and remained unwilling for an authorised electricity connection. Many people living in rural areas were hesitant at that time," an official said. Of 2.62 crore households electrified under the Saubhaya scheme all over the country, 79.8 lakh units were from Uttar Pradesh, as per the official data.
