New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the BJP National Executive meeting at Talkatora stadium in New Delhi on Monday. PTI Photo (PTI9_25_2017_000193B) Mumbai: After free LPG connection to poor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced giving free electricity connection to over 4 crore households by December 2018.
Using the occasion of birth centenary of Hindutva ideologue Deendayal Upadhaya to launch the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana or Saubhagya (meaning good luck), Modi said free electricity connections will be provided to the 4 crore out of 25 crore hosue holds which are still without electricity.
The government, he said, will electrify 2,986 remaining villages by December 2017 to help take power to all households by December 2018. Modi had in 2015 set a target of 1,000 days for electrifying the 18,452 villages that did not have electricity connection.
Saubhagya the scheme for easy availability of electricity
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New Scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced new scheme "Saubhagya" to provide free electricity connections to four crore rural homes, saying it would ensure power in every village and every home in New India.
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Rs 16,000 crore project
The decision would cost the government Rs 16,000 crore which will not be passed on to the poor, Modi said.
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One nation, one grid, one price
Modi said while the nation was speedily moving towards "one nation, one grid, one price" while Saubhagya will help provide electricity to all the homes in the country and its launch is reflection of steps being taken towards an energy revolution."
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New ONGC building
Modi, who also dedicated a new ONGC building (the Deendayal Urja Bhawan and Booster Compressor Facility in Bassein Gas Field)
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4 crore families to get electricity
"There are four crore families which do not have electricity, not to talk of bulb. No money will be charged from any poor person for electricity connection. The government will give the connection at your doorstep." Said Modi.
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Electricity by 2019
The scheme is aimed at providing electricity connection to every household in the country by March 31, 2019.
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New approach, new policies and multidimensional steps
Modi also attacked the Congress, saying there had been reports of grid collapse and coal shortages during the UPA government, but now "there is a new approach, new policies and multidimensional steps".
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Increased coal production
Modi said coal production has been increased by 93 million tonnes in the last three years compared to 34 million tonnes in six years of UPA till 2015, rankings of ease of doing business in power sector have gone up from 99 in 2015 to 26 now.
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Installed power capacity has gone up
Installed power capacity has gone up by 60,000 MW in the last three years, which was 12 percent above target, while renewable energy capacity had doubled in the last three years and a capacity of 27,000 MW has been added.
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Government expanding transmission network
Modi said the government has worked to expand transmission network and Rs 1.5 lakh crore had been spent on such projects.
