India to achieve 100% household electrification by March end: Power Minister

27 Feb 2019 Evaluate

Power Minister R K Singh has said that India is all set to achieve 100 percent household electrification by the year ended March 31, 2019 as envisaged in the Saubhagya scheme and the next goal is to achieve round the clock power supply to all households. Under the Rs 16,320 crore Saubhagya scheme, 2,52,51,880 unelectrified households were to be electrified by March 31. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are in the process of energising the remaining 22,691 families left out.

About an objective to provide 24x7 power across the country, Singh said that the government has allocated Rs 1.6 lakh crore for strengthening distribution network in the country and the objective would be achieved as lot work is being done and there is a requirement for equipment like poles, cables to implement that. Laying the roadmap for achieving 24X7 power for all households, he said that this will be done by strengthening the distribution network, improving the DISCOMs' health, reducing the transmission & distribution losses, using technology to improve billing and collection efficiency and energy efficiency. 

On the issue of payment security mechanism for private sector power generators as suggested by the high-level committee on stressed power assets, the minister said that the recommendations are under consideration and the government would discuss it with the RBI before going ahead. Talking about the infusion of renewable energy, he said that clean energy share would increase in future but the coal-based power would stay for some time because demand would further increase with the addition of 2.5 crore new subscribers and economic development. On coal shortage, he informed that coal reserves at power plants are for 12 to 13 days at present and the power ministry is discussing the issue with coal and railway ministries to improve supplies in view of increasing power demand.

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