**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Power to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the electrification of villages. It outlines the government's efforts in providing electricity to all consumers, particularly in rural areas, through various schemes like DDUGJY, SAUBHAGYA, and RDSS. The document notes that all inhabited unelectrified census villages in the country were electrified by April 28, 2018, and electrification of all willing households was completed by March 31, 2019 under SAUBHAGYA, which closed on March 31, 2022.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Initiatives:**
* The Government of India supplements State efforts to provide access to quality power through schemes like DDUGJY (launched in 2014), SAUBHAGYA (launched in October 2017), and RDSS (launched in 2021).
* **Scheme Objectives:**
* DDUGJY aimed to connect every inhabited unelectrified census village with electricity and strengthen rural electricity distribution.
* SAUBHAGYA aimed to achieve universal household electrification by providing electricity connections to all willing unelectrified households in rural and urban areas by March 2019.
* **Electrification Status:**
* As of April 28, 2018, all inhabited unelectrified census villages were electrified.
* 18,374 villages were electrified under DDUGJY, including 49,25,124 Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
* 2.86 crore households were electrified during SAUBHAGYA.
* SAUBHAGYA and DDUGJY closed on March 31, 2022.
* **RDSS Progress:**
* Rs. 6,521 Cr. has been sanctioned under RDSS for 13.65 lakh households.
* RDSS focuses on including households belonging to Particularly vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) identified under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), Scheduled Tribes (STs) under DA-JGUA, Scheduled Castes (SC) under Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), and households in remote & border areas under Vibrant Village Program (VVP).
* 2.93 lakh households have been electrified to date under RDSS.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments/Distribution Utilities**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the supply and distribution of electricity to all consumers within their jurisdiction.
* **Action Required:** Continue to manage and maintain the electricity distribution infrastructure and collaborate with the Government of India on ongoing electrification efforts under RDSS.
**Unelectrified Households**
* **Impact:** Beneficiaries of the electrification schemes, receiving access to electricity.
* **Action Required:** N/A
**Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SC), Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and households in remote border areas.**
* **Impact:** Focus of the RDSS to ensure electrification through grid based efforts.
* **Action Required:** N/A
Key Entities Referenced
Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS): A scheme launched in 2021 for strengthening the electricity distribution system.
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA): A scheme launched in October 2017 with the objective of achieving universal household electrification.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY): A scheme launched in 2014 with the objective to connect every inhabited un-electrified census village with electricity.
Ministry of Power: The primary subject ministry answering the question about electrification of villages.
Rural Electrification Policy, 2006: The policy referenced for the definition of 'electrified village'.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF POWER
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2128
ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026
ELECTRIFICATION OF VILLAGES
2128. SHRI KALIPADA SAREN KHERWAL:
Will the Minister of POWER
be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the number and percentage of un-electrified households in rural and
urban areas, area-wise;
(b) the number and percentage of economically poor un-electrified households;
(c) whether the definition for electrification of a village incorporates only ten per
cent of houses in that village, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether the Government intends to change this definition and increase the
percentage of households included therein, if so, the details thereof and if not, the
reasons therefor?
A N S W E R
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER
(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)
(a) to (d) : Electricity being a concurrent subject, supply and distribution of electricity
to all consumers, in rural as well as urban areas, is within the purview of the respective
State Government/ distribution utility. Government of India has been supplementing the
efforts of the States in providing access to quality power to all consumers through
schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) launched in 2014,
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) launched in October, 2017,
and currently under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) launched in 2021.
The objective of DDUGJY was to connect every inhabited un electrified census
village with electricity, and to strengthen the rural electricity distribution system. The
objective of SAUBHAGYA was achieving universal household electrification by providing
electricity connections to all willing un-electrified households in rural areas and all
willing poor households in urban areas in the country by March, 2019.
The definition of ‘electrified village’ is as per the Rural Electrification Policy, 2006
but under SAUBHAGYA, electrification of all households was taken up, which is
continuing under the ongoing scheme of RDSS.
……..2- 2 -
As reported by the States/ UTs, all the inhabited un-electrified census villages in
the country were electrified by 28th April, 2018. A total of 18,374 villages were electrified
under DDUGJY including 49,25,124 Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. Under DDUGJY
and thereafter under SAUBHAGYA electrification of all willing households was
completed by 31st March, 2019 as reported by the States/ UTs. A total of 2.86 crore
households were electrified during SAUBHAGYA period. Both the schemes stand closed
as on 31.03.2022.
Under the RDSS, on grid electrification works amounting to Rs. 6,521 Cr. have
been sanctioned for 13.65 lakh households including households belonging to
Particularly vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) identified under Pradhan Mantri Janjati
Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), households belonging to Scheduled Tribes
(STs) under DA-JGUA (Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan), households
belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) under Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday
Yojana (PM-AJAY) and households in remote & border areas under Vibrant Village
Program (VVP), wherever found feasible. Out of the above, a total of 2.93 lakh households
have been electrified till date.
**********