All identified 2.5 cr unelectrifed households to be energised by March: FM

New Delhi : All identified 2.5 crore households will be energised by March as the task under the Saubhagya scheme has almost been completed, said Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday.

“The task of household electrification is almost complete. As many as 2.5 crore unelectrified households were identified. All willing households will (under Saubhagya scheme) be provided electricity connection by March 2019,” Goyal said while presenting budget 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha.

According to the Saubhagya portal, as many as 2,48,19,168 families have already been provided electricity connection under the Rs 16,320 crore Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) launched in September 2017.

The government had identified 2,48,47,762 unelectrified households for electrification by March. As many as 28,594 households including 8,460 in Rajasthan and 20,134 in Chhattisgarh are yet to be electrified.

During the state power ministers’ meet chaired by Power Minister R K Singh, it was resolved to electrify all households by December 31, 2018. Later Singh has on many occasion had exuded confidence that the target would be achieved latest by February, 2019.