PM Narendra Modi Launches “Saubhagya” Electricity For All By 2018

BJP held its 2-day National Executive Meet in Delhi that was inaugurated by Amit Shah on Sunday in Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. The meet is being attended by 2,000 delegates consisting of office bearers, state chief ministers and senior party leadership including PM Narendra Modi. The agenda for the meet was to discuss current economic situation, steps to be taken to revive Indian economy from the slowdown that started with Demonetization and haste GST roll out.

This is the first time BJP televised its National Executive Meet.

Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘ Saubhagya ’: Electricity for all villages by December 2018

PM Narendra Modi today addressed the delegates and launched Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘ Saubhagya ’ to provide power to all villages by December 2018 and to all the families in India by March 2019. He also inaugurated the Deen Dayal Urja Bhawan.

He also targets to Kerosene substitution, improving health & education services, increase job opportunities, all aimed to improved quality of life particularly for women in rural areas of the country.

PM said, “Can you imagine that more than 4 crore families out of 25 crores don’t have electricity. Poor will not be charged for electrification instead government will reach out to poor.”

He added that “Dreams of the poor are the dreams of his party. India is moving from “Bijali Sankat to Bijli Surplus”.

Power minister, R K Singh, said, “government will electrify all the villages by December 2017 and all the families by March 2018. The next target would be 24X7 reliable quality supply with no load shedding.”

He added that “prepaid model would be implemented in providing electricity to all the families across the country.”

INR 16000 Cr.  Expenditure on Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’

The total expenditure estimated by the government on Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’ is INR 16,320 Cr. Out of which INR 14,025 Cr. would be meant for rural and INR 2,295 Cr. for urban electrification.

The funding would be managed through 60% grant from government with states contribution at 10%. The rest funding would be in form of loans. For States that are granted “special” status would be get 85% from central government with states only contributing 5%.

“Only less than 3,000 villages are left out in dark out of the 18,000 are left under village electrification program of BJP government”, said PM Narendra Modi.

 

Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’: How would it work?

The scheme beneficiaries would be identified through Census 2011 data.

Electricity connections to families identified under Socio Economic and Caste Census data 2011 will be given free of cost and the distribution companies will recover INR 500 in 10 installments of electricity bills.

On the spot connections would be given for such applications. Government would work along with Gram panchayats and other public institutions to promote and implement this scheme by collecting applications, distributing bills and collecting payments.

Will this scheme help the economy?

If implemented properly and on time giving electricity all families on ground, it would certainly push consumption in the rural economy and would promote inclusive economic growth in India.

Today, it sounds a great scheme on paper and but too little for economic revival. At this point of time, the scheme launch looks to be targeting at 2019 elections and all the state elections that due from 2018 onwards.

PM Narendra Modi need to come up with big reforms and economic stimulus to spar the growth rates in India.