'UP looks to achieve 100% electrification by month-end'

Uttar Pradesh is set to achieve 100 per cent electrification by the month-end, state power minister Srikant Sharma said on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh is among the states where a large number of households are to be covered under the Saubhagya scheme for providing electricity connections.

According to the power ministry's Saubhagya portal, around 11 per cent or 34.46 lakh households in about 24 districts, as on December 11, were yet to be provided with power connections under the Centre's ambitious scheme.

Saubhagya — Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana-- was launched in September 2017 with the objective to provide access to electricity to all the remaining households in the country.

The minister said that all the districts falling under Dakshinanchal and Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam have been electrified.

The districts falling under Madhyanchal and Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam would be electrified by December 31, he said.

"We will give new year gift poor consumer by illuminating their homes,” Sharma noted.

He added that the power department would celebrate a symbolic 'Diwali' on January 26 next year to mark the 100 per cent electrification. He said more than 1 lakh villages in the state were un-electrified when the BJP government came to power. At present, around 33,000 villages are yet to be given power connection.

The minister claimed that round the clock power was supplied to district headquarters, 20 hours in tahsil headquarters and 18 hours in villages at present.

Expressing his commitment to reducing transmission losses in single digit, Sharma said villages covered less than 15 per cent line loss would get round the clock power supply.