Question : Twenty-four Hours of Electricity Supply

(a) whether the Government proposes to provide twenty-four hours of electricity supply to all by 2022;

(b) if so, the details of the progress made there under, State-wise including Bihar;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government would set up any revised deadline for providing twenty-four hours of electricity supply to all and if so, the details thereof;

(e) the details of average daily power supply in rural and urban areas of the country at present, State/UT-wise;

(f) whether the Government has achieved the target of complete electrification of all the rural and urban areas of the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(g) the details regarding ratio of electrification across the country, State-wise?

THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) to (e) : The obligation of providing 24x7 power supply to all consumers lies with the concerned Power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). Government of India had been helping the States through its various schemes including Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) to achieve the objective of providing uninterrupted power supply to all households. Under the recently launched Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the State Power Distribution Utilities are financially supported to strengthen Distribution infrastructure and the fund releases under the scheme is linked to initiation of reforms and achievement of results that also includes trajectories for improving electricity supply hours to urban and rural consumers.

As per the information made available by the States on National Power Portal (NPP), the supply hours in urban areas and rural areas as on 8.7.2022, was 23.78 (HH.hh) & 21.48 (HH.hh) respectively. State-wise details of average hours of power supply in rural areas and urban areas during the year FY 2021-22 and for the current year FY 2022-23 till May, 2022 is at Annexure.

(f) & (g) : Under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and thereafter under Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya), since now closed on 31.03.2022, all States had already declared electrification of all Villages as on 28th April, 2018 and all willing Households as on 31st March, 2019 respectively.

While a total of 18374 Villages were electrified under DDUGJY, a total of 2.86 crore Households were electrified under the aegis of Saubhagya including additional households in two tranches that became willing after 31.03.2019 but were unwilling for electrification earlier.

While fresh arisings of new households is a continuous process and electrification of such households is expected to be taken care of by the Distribution Utilities, the Government of India stands committed to help the States electrify all households identified before Saubhagya. In this respect, the Government of India has recently issued guidelines for their electrification under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). States have been advised to pose their DPRs to the Ministry of Power in this regard.


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