Every household to be electrified by Dec 31 under Saubhagya: Govt

New Delhi: The Government's focus is on providing electricity connection to every household in the country under the Saubhagya scheme instead of achieving a set of numbers, Power Minister R K Singh said Thursday. He asserted that the target of 100 per cent electrification would be achieved by December 31.

Addressing media persons here at the states' review and performance meet, Singh also dismissed contentions that household electrification has led to an increase in aggregate, technical and commercial losses of power distribution utilities.

"Target is every household. We are not saying so many. we are saying every household. Earlier states set estimates based on census figures and other data. But now it's not a number. It is every village, districts...it will be major achievement. The World will notice it," Singh told reporters.

He further said, "We believe that we can complete achievement of our target (of 100 per cent household electrification) by December 31, 2018 (against the target of March 31, 2018."

Giving details about the scheme, he said about 2.10 crore households have already connected and eight states have achieved 100 per cent saturation (in household electrification)-- Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.

Asked about states doing good job under the Saubhagya scheme have higher aggregate, technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, Singh replied, "The AT&C losses increase is not linked to Saubhagya. That is not true. There is increase in power demand which is over 10.5 per cent. Today the demand is 10,000 MW more than that of year ago."

When asked about such incidence in Uttar Pradesh, a state official explained and said, "The power demand has increased to 20,000 MW. In the first seven months (this fiscal) till October, UP's energy loss is minus 1.59 per cent compared to last year. The losses are commercial because billing needs to be improved in rural areas. Saubhagya is not the cause of increase in losses. The peak load in state is 20,400 MW at present compared to 18,300 MW year ago."