Srinagar, Aug 09 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir has seen a significant expansion of household electrification since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) in 2017, with 3,77,045 homes connected to the grid during the scheme’s implementation.

The Union Power Ministry told Parliament that, following the closure of Saubhagya in March 2022, new projects under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) are targeting thousands more households, particularly in tribal and remote areas.

According to the ministry, Rs 106.70 crore has been sanctioned for connecting 15,359 left-out households in J&K under RDSS. In addition, ?89.84 crore has been approved for electrifying 13,824 tribal households under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA), and ?13,824 crore for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) under PM-JANMAN.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThe government is also integrating rural border villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme, where terrain and weather conditions have long hampered infrastructure expansion.

While the state’s Saubhagya phase addressed most un-electrified homes, officials said the RDSS is crucial for “last-mile” connections—reaching isolated habitations in hilly terrains such as Gurez, Karnah, and parts of Chenab Valley. For these, both on-grid extensions and solar-based off-grid systems are being deployed.

Nationwide, over 2.86 crore households have been electrified under Saubhagya. For J&K, the Centre says it will continue to support projects wherever “technically feasible,” blending central funding with state execution to ensure universal access to electricity.(KNS)