With electrification of more than 82,000 families in revenue villages and 2,100 majras, Lucknow was declared a ‘Saubhagyashali’ district on Saturday.
A district is declared ‘Saubhagyashali’, if the administration provides power supply to all unelectrified villages.

As per Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited records, as many as 82,337 families in revenue villages and 2,139 ‘majras’ in 780 villages in
eight blocks of the district were electrified. The list of the electrified ‘majras’ was verified by district magistrate’s office. As many as 52 transformers were installed and 82- kilometre long lines were laid to achieve the target.

About Saubhagya Scheme

• Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’ was launched in September, 2017.
• Under Saubhagya free electricity connections to all households (both APL and poor families) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas will be provided.
• Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) has been designated as nodal agency for the Saubhagya scheme.
• The scheme aims to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of the country at a cost of Rs 16,320 crore, including Gross Budgetary Support of Rs 12,320 crore from the government.
• All DISCOMs including Private Sector DISCOMs, State Power Departments and RE Cooperative Societies shall be eligible for financial assistance under the scheme in line with DDUGJY.
• The prospective beneficiary households for free electricity connections under the scheme would be identified using SECC 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.

Scope of the Scheme:

• Providing last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all un-electrified households in rural areas.
• Providing 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.
• Providing last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining economically poor un-electrified households in urban areas. Non-poor urban households are excluded from this scheme.
• There are around 4 Crore un-electrified households in the country and they are targeted for providing electricity connections by December 2018.