Saubhagya scheme: Slow progress irks energy minister

LUCKNOW: Energy minister Shrikant Sharma on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress in meeting the ambitious target of giving 1.74 crore new power connections to households without an access to electricity by December this year under the Centre’s Saubhagya scheme.

The scheme seeks to provide 24x7 power supply to each and every family.

Presiding over a review meeting here, he said the government had fixed the target of giving 1.74 crore new power connections in the state by December 2018, but the progress, he said was slow. “The officials and the executing agencies failing to meet the targets will be penalized,” he cautioned.

He also ordered action against some private agencies for their not being able to complete electrification work as per the schedule. He asked the discom MDs to seriously monitor daily progress of new power connections being issued under the Saubhagya scheme and send report on the same to the headquarters every day. The minister said the UPPCL chairman should make weekly review of the progress. “I will review the progress every fortnight,” the minister said.

He said Varanasi and Agra discoms must issue 26 lakh and 52 lakh power connections by October 31 while other discoms must achieve the target by December 31.

Principal secretary, energy and UPPCL chairman, Alok Kumar told the minister during the course of meeting that UP had so far given 20.28 lakh new power connections since the launch of the Saubhagya scheme, which he said was the highest in the country.

“Varanasi, Agra, Lucknow and Meerut discoms have to distribute 60 lakh, 26.52 lakh, 64.44 lakh and 17.24 lakh new power connections to achieve the targets,” Kumar said, assuring the minister of completing the work on time.