The power grid scheme

The Modi government launched the ~16,230 crore Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana or Saubhagya scheme on September 25, 2017

It promises 100 per cent electrification to last-mile connectivity to households.

The definition of units pending electrification was changed from revenue villages to households by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government in 2004. This made the inclusion of isolated hamlets possible.

The Manmohan Singh government saw the highest rate of electrification - 1 lakh plus in 10 years.

The highest being 28706 in 2006-2007. 2009 to 2011 saw above 18,000 electrifications per year.

India is expected to be the highest driver of global energy demand by 2040, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency. Power distribution systems need to quadruple to keep pace.

DISCOMs estimate costs of a new pole to a hamlet distant from regular habitation to be ~200,000/km. Per remote home it can be ~5000/home or higher for sparsely populated remote locations, as per Brookings India study.

For both micro-grids and conventional grids, cost of installation is high for low consumption. External support offered by the Saubhagya scheme becomes essential

*figures updated June 10, 2018.