Centre Reviews Electrification Progress Under RDSS

New Delhi: The Government of India has reaffirmed that electricity, a concurrent subject, is primarily managed by State Governments and distribution utilities. The Centre continues to supplement state efforts through schemes designed to ensure universal access to quality power. Programmes such as the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) significantly expanded rural electrification and household connectivity. Official figures indicate that all inhabited un-electrified census villages were electrified by April 28, 2018. DDUGJY covered 18,374 villages and millions of Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, while SAUBHAGYA enabled electrification of 2.86 crore households. Both schemes concluded on March 31, 2022. Electrification initiatives are now progressing under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), launched in 2021. Works worth Rs. 6,521 crore have been sanctioned for 13.65 lakh households, prioritizing Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and residents of remote and border regions where feasible. To date, 2.93 lakh households have received electricity connections under RDSS. The update was provided by Minister of State for Power, Shri Shripad Naik, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.