Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (‘Saubhagya’) launched in September.
The policy has set a standard for itself without enough focus on its capacity to deliver results.
What is Saubhagya scheme about?
This new scheme is just a way of refurbishing the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).
The earlier scheme of rural electrification launched in July 2015, which aimed to electrify all un-electrified villages by May 2018.
The objective of the Saubhagya scheme is to provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity to achieve universal household electrification in the country.
Saubhagya makes grandiose promises to provide a free electricity connection to all willing Below Poverty Line households.
It claims to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country on a payment of Rs. 500,which shall be recovered by the power distribution companies in 10 instalments along with electricity bills.
What are practical difficulties with the scheme?
Payment of Bills -It expects the poor to pay the bills without providing any subsidy to ease their burden.
Expecting poor households to bear the recurring burden of bills as per the prevailing tariff of DISCOMs is unimaginable.
The government has conveniently overlooked the fact that for the poor in some States, the inability to pay an electricity bill is a big impediment
Efficiency -Even if 90% of households are electrified in villages, there is no promise of minimum hours of supply.
There is a power shortage even at this moment leading to scheduled and unscheduled load shedding, often up to 10 hours or more.
Additional capability - This scheme would potentially require an additional 28,000 MW and additional energy of about 80,000 million units per annum, which is roughly 7% of India’s current installed power capacity.
Considering these huge lapses managing this additional demand would prove to be challenging.
