Modi promises electricity to all |
India`s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new scheme to provide power to all people, marking the birth anniversary celebrations of Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay. The scheme, pegged at Rs 16,320 crore, will provide free electric connections to an estimated 4 crore poor households. The scheme aims to set up basic electricity infrastructure in villages and provide free electricity connections to below poverty line (BPL) households. The Saubhagya scheme wants to connect all un-electrified rural and urban households who are willing to take a power connection. The government hopes that by pumping Rs 16000 crore into the economy, additional job opportunities may open up. The new scheme is set to give several social benefits to poor households as can be envisaged with the use of power. The PM remarked that people who don`t have electricity, live in the 18th century. Though the power connections, that will cost between Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000, will be given free, the government has said there would not be any subsidy for monthly consumption of electricity. Consumers will have to pay the bill as per their utilisation. Rural people, who don`t fall within the ambit of the socio-economic caste census that determines the level of poverty, will pay Rs 500 for connection. They will have 10 installment facilities.
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