About the scheme

• Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –“Saubhagya” is a scheme under the Ministry of Power to achieve universal household electrification by providing free electricity connections to all households (both APL (Above Poverty Line) and poor families) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas.
• Known as one of the largest household electrification drives in the world, the scheme was launched in 2017.

Objective

• To provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to access to all un-electrified households in rural areas and poor households in urban areas. Non-poor urban households are excluded from this scheme.
• Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) has been designated as nodal agency for the Saubhagya scheme.
• The electricity connection to households include release of electricity connections by drawing a service cable from the nearest pole to the household premise, installation of an energy meter, wiring for a single light point with LED bulb and a mobile charging point.
• In case the electricity pole is not available nearby from the household for drawing service cable, the erection of additional pole along with conductor and associated accessories shall also be covered under the scheme.
• The scheme also aims to provide Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) based standalone systems for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible villages/habitations, where grid extension is not feasible or cost-effective.

Eligibility

• The prospective beneficiary households for free electricity connections under the scheme would be identified using SECC 2011 data.
• However, un-electrified households not covered under SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.

Why in News?

• Over 3 lakh households provided electrification under Saubhagya Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reference:

1. https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Over-3-lakh-households-provided-electrification-under-Saubhagya-Scheme-in-J%26K&id=444779