Question : Electrification of Villages by Solar Energy

(a) whether any scheme to provide electricity through solar energy is operational to promote electrification of villages in rural areas of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether electricity connections have been provided in the State of Maharashtra during the last three years and the current year under the said scheme;
(d) if so, the names of such districts and the names of the companies through which these solar systems have been installed along with the district and year-wise details where such systems are yet to be installed/ proposed to be installed;
(e) whether the Government proposes to increase the number of connections under solar energy electrification scheme in the remaining unelectrified villages of Maharashtra; and
(f) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

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


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STATEMENT
Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (f) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 33 to be answered on 03.02.2022 regarding ‘Electrification of Villages by Solar Energy’

(a) to (f) In October 2017, Government of India through Ministry of Power launched “Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana” - Saubhagya to achieve universal household electrification across the country. The scheme envisaged last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural and all poor households in urban areas. The Saubhagya scheme included provision of solar based standalone systems to provide electricity to un-electrified households in remote & inaccessible villages/habitations, where grid extension was neither feasible nor cost effective.

Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) has reported that since the launch of Saubhagya Scheme a total of 15,17,922 households have been provided electricity coonection including 30,538 off-grid Solar Home Light Systems (SHLs) in Maharashtra till 31.3.2021.

The District-wise number of SHLSs installed, along with the names of companies which have installed these systems, is given at Annexure.

As reported by the State of Maharashtra, all the villages have been electrified and all willing un-electrified households in the State stand electrified as on 31.03.2021.