New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) All unelectrified census villages were electrified by April 28, 2018, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan said on Tuesday and added that 18,374 villages were electrified under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Paswan said that according to information provided by the Union power ministry, the government had always supplemented the efforts of states through schemes such as the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), and the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), among others, to help them achieve the objective of providing quality and reliable power supply to all households.
As reported by the states, all inhabited unelectrified census villages were electrified by April 28, 2018. A total of 18,374 villages were electrified under DDUGJY.
Under DDUGJY and thereafter SAUBHAGYA, the states reported that electrification of all willing households was completed by March 31, 2019. A total of 2.86 crore households were electrified under SAUBHAGYA.
The minister added that both schemes stood closed as on March 31, 2022.
Supporting states for grid electrification of left-out households under SAUBHAGYA, the ongoing Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) was launched in July 2021.
In addition, all identified households belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and tribal households under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya GramUtkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) are being sanctioned for on-grid electricity connection under RDSS.
Till date, work amounting to Rs 4,281 crore have been sanctioned for electrification of 9,49,548 (9.49 lakh) households, including PVTG and tribal.
Under the New Solar Power Scheme, work worth Rs 49 crore have been sanctioned for 9,863 households for off-grid solar-based electrification, Paswan said.
On providing tapwater connection to rural households, he said water was a state subject and the Centre supplemented the states' efforts by providing financial and technical assistance.
When the Jal Jeevan Mission launched in August 2019, about 3.23 crore (16.8 per cent) rural households were reported to have tapwater connections, the minister said.
As on December 11, about 12.12 crore additional rural households were provided tapwater connections.
"Thus, as on 11.12.2024, out of 19.36 crore rural households, more than 15.35 crore (79.31 per cent) households are reported to have tapwater supply in their homes and the remaining 4.01 crore households are likely to be covered by the states, as per their plans," the minister said.