Context:

The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy has informed about the status of implementation and coverage of the SAUBHAGYA Scheme in the country.

About Saubhagya(Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) Scheme:

• It was launched  in October, 2017 focusing on last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all the unelectrified households in the country. 
• It is a concurrent program to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti.

Objectives of Scheme:

• Provide last mile connectivity and electricity connection to all un-electrified households in rural areas;
• Extend electricity connection to all remaining economically poor un electrified households in urban areas. Non-poor urban households are excluded from this scheme.
• Implement Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) based standalone system for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible villages/habitations, where grid extension is not feasible or cost effective.

Salient features:

• Free metered connection for economically poor households and a charge of Rs. 500 (adjusted in electricity bills in 10 monthly instalments) for households other than poor, only after release of connection.
• Establishing camps in villages/ cluster of villages for on spot registration
• Use of Mobile App for identification of beneficiaries and electronic registration including requisite documentation
• Web based near real-time monitoring and updating of progress
• Flexibility to States in mode of implementation

News Source: PIB