PM Modi launches Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli har Ghar Yojna-Saubhagya
25 September, New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana to provide electricity to un-electrified households.
The scheme is named ‘Saubhagya’ and will provide subsidy on equipment like transformers, meters and wires.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the new corporate building of ONGC in New Delhi, that was renamed Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Urja Bhawan.
The green-building has been built at a cost of 600 crore rupees. Modi also unveiled a statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark his birth anniversary.
The Prime Minister said, the government is committed for the welfare of people especially the poor. He said, the government is working on six basic principles for providing well planned, accessible, affordable, clean and safe electricity.
Modi said, it is unfortunate that four crore people of the country are yet to get electricity and are dependent upon lanterns to light their homes. Modi said, his top priority is fulfilling poor people’s aspirations. He announced that no fee will be charged from poors for power connection.
The Prime Minister said, our country, which used to face power shortage, is now a power surplus state. He said, over 16 thousand crore rupees will be spent on providing electricity to un-electrified households.
Speaking about power sector reforms, Modi said, the installed power capacity has increased by 12 per cent during last three years and 60 thousand Mega Watt power has been added. He said, financial condition of power distribution companies has improved and distribution system has been strengthened in the country.
This has helped in bringing down their annual losses. He said, the government worked on four different stages simultaneously which are production, transmission, distribution and connection.
Power Minister R K Singh said on the occassion that India will achieve the target of power for all by December next year, while all villages will be electrified by the end of this year, much ahead of the schedule.
He said, in the 2015 Independence day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the government will electrify the remaining 18,452 unelectrified villages in 1,000 days. According to GARV portal, out of the 18,452 villages, 14,483 villages have been electrified so far.
The electrification work is in progress for 2,981 villages, while 988 villages are uninhabited.