Centre's play for power benefits Telangana

Hyderabad: As part of its Lok Sabha election strategy, the NDA government is wooing the public by announcing free electricity connections to the poor under the Saubhagya scheme. The Centre has issued guidelines to all states for the implementation of Saubhagya scheme. While the poor will not have to pay anything to get a power connection, people not categorised as poor, will have to pay Rs 500. Presently, the TS Discom is collecting Rs 7,025 for a new 3-phase domestic connection and Rs 2,825 for a single phase connection. As per the Central government figures, about 4.10 lakh households in TS stand to benefit from Saubhagya scheme.

According to guidelines issued by the Union power ministry to all state governments, under the Saubhagya scheme all economically-backward households should be provided electricity connection free of cost. The power ministry has excluded 14 categories from being provided the free connection. Among these 14 categories are people who have motorised 2/3/4 wheeler / fishing boat, mechanised 3-4 wheeler agriculture equipment, Kisan credit card with credit limit of over Rs 50,000, a household member as a government employee, households with non-agricultural enterprises registered with the government, any member of household earning more than Rs 10,000 per month and paying Income Tax, three or more rooms with pucca walls and roof, owning a refrigerator, owning a landline phone, owning more than 2.5 acres of irrigated land with 1 irrigation equipment, 5 acres or more of irrigated land for two or more crop seasons and owning at least 7.5 acres of land or more with at least one irrigation  equipment are all not eligible  to get free electricity connection and have to pay Rs 500 for a new connection.

According to TS energy officials, at present the electricity department is collecting charges Rs 7,025 for 3-phase connection and Rs 2,015 for single phase connection. In slum areas the electricity connection is being given for Rs 1,425 for KV power and about Rs 700 for a 500 watt power connection. According to Union power ministry data, as on April 30, 2017 in TS, there are 10.49 lakh un-electrified rural households but as on October 10, 2017 the number has come down to 4.10 lakh households.

For giving electricity connections under Saubhagya scheme, the Central government will provide 60 percent of total project cost as grant while the state government has to contribute 30 percent. The remaining 10 percent will be provided by the Rural Electrification Corporation. The directive is to have 100 percent household electrification by December 31, 2018.