Question : ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY

(a) whether the Government proposes to provide round the clock and affordable access to electricity to all households and villages/hamlets in the country during the next five years;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the action plan formulated by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether the distribution transformers installed under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) reportedly get burnt frequently;

(d) if so, the details thereof, the reasons therefor, and the time by which such burnt transformers are likely to be replaced, State-wise; and

(e) the remedial steps taken or are being taken to address the issue?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF POWER ( SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA )

(a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 83 TO BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 29.11.2012 REGARDING ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY.

(a) & (b) : The Government of India launched Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), a flagship scheme, with an objective to provide access to electricity to rural households by creating rural electricity infrastructure and also to provide free electricity single point connection to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. Under the scheme, Government of India provides 90% of the project cost as capital subsidy for establishing Rural Electricity Distribution Backbone (REDB) and Village Electrification Infrastructure (VEI) and provides free electricity single point connections to BPL households, in order to provide affordable access. The supply of electricity to consumers is the responsibility of Distribution Companies/Power Departments of State Governments.

Ministry of Power has proposed to continue Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in 12th Plan for providing access to electricity to remaining households and villages/hamlets irrespective of their population subject to availability of sufficient funds.

(c) to (e) : The details of number of transformers provided under RGGVY and reported burnt is at Annex. Some of the reasons for burning of transformers are:

i) Overloading due to un-authorized connections / illegal hooking.

ii) Connected load being more than approved load in households given connections under the scheme.

iii) Distribution transformers have suitable protection system to avoid burning in case of overloading or fault. When such protections are bypassed, Distribution Transformers get burnt in case of overloading or fault.

Repair/replacement of burnt transformers is the responsibility of implementing agency before the infrastructure is handed over to the Discoms/Power Departments. After handover, the responsibility for the same shifts to the Discoms/Power Departments, who are expected to carry out the same as per their norms and procedures.