RURAL ELECTRIFICATION Definition, Issues and Concerns

By RAVI POHANI

CHRONOLOGICAL DEFINITIONS

.

PRE OCT-97“A village is classified as electrified if electricity is

being used within its revenue area for any purpose, whatsoever”

POST OCT-97“A village will be deemed

to be electrified if electricity is used in the inhabited locality, within the revenue boundary of

the village for any purpose, whatsoever”

2004-till date“A village would be

declared as electrified if :”

a) Basic infrastructure such as distribution transformer and distribution lines are provided in the inhabited locality of the village as

well as Dalit Basti hamlet if exists

b) Electricity is provided to public places like schools,

dispensaries, panchayat office, community center etc.

c) Number of households electrified should be at least 10 % of the total households in the village.

ISSUES

Haldu Khata, a village in Bijnor is no electrical infrastructure in the village. Similarly,Dimatala in Assam, Kadam Jheriya in Chhattisgarh,Buknari in Bihar and Sunwara in Madhya Pradesh aremisclassified as electrified villages

GARV DASHBOARD PROVIDING REAL TIME INFORMATION ON RURAL ELECTRIFICATION SINCE OCTOBER, 2015. GV-GIS system

GVAs deployed to check the status of electrified villages

ISSUES DISCOVERED BY GAV

Dispersed population Infrastructure theft Electrification of un-inhabited villages/un-inhibited villages

registerd

GARV DASHBOARD 03/10/2016

National Electricity Policy 2005

In compliance with section 3 of the Electricity Act 2003 the Central Government notified the National Electricity Policy.

The National Electricity Policy aims at laying guidelines for accelerated development of the power sector, providing supply of

electricity to all areas and protecting interests of consumers and other stakeholders keeping in view availability of energy

resources, technology available to exploit these resources, economics of generation using different resources, and energy

security issues.

The National Electricity Policy was evolved in consultation with and taking into account views of the State Governments, Central

Electricity Authority (CEA), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and other stakeholders.

The aims and objectives of the policy are as follows

• Access to Electricity - Available for all households in next five years

• Availability of Power - Demand to be fully met by 2012. Energy and peaking shortages to be overcome and adequate spinning

reserve to be available.

• Supply of Reliable and Quality Power of specified standards in an efficient manner and at reasonable rates. Per capita availability

of electricity to be increased to over 1000 units by 2012.

• Minimum lifeline consumption of 1 unit/household/day as a merit good by year 2012.

• Financial Turnaround and Commercial Viability of Electricity Sector.

• Protection of consumers’ interests.

National Rural Electrification Policy, 2006The National Rural Electrification Policy was notified in compliance with Sections 4 & 5 of the Electricity Act, 2003 by the Central Government.Relevant extracts of the National Rural Electrification Policy, 2006Goals include provision of access to electricity to all households by the year 2009, quality and reliable power supply at reasonable rates, and minimum lifeline consumption of 1 unit/household/day as a merit good by year 2012.For villages/habitations where grid connectivity would not be feasible or not cost effective, off-grid solutions based on stand-alone systems may be taken up for supply of electricity. Where these also are not feasible and if only alternative is to use isolated lighting technologies like solar photovoltaic, these may be adopted. However, such remote villages may not be designated as electrified.State government should, within 6 months, prepare and notify a rural electrification plan which should map and detail the electrification delivery mechanism. The plan may be linked to and integrated with district development plans. The plan should also be intimated to the appropriate commission.Gram panchayat shall issue the first certificate at the time of the village becoming eligible for declaration as electrified. Subsequently, the Gram Panchayat shall certify and confirm the electrified status of the village as on 31st March each year.The state government should set up a committee at the district level within 3 months, under the chairmanship of chairperson of the Zilla Panchayat and with representations from district level agencies, consumer associations, and important stakeholders with adequate representation of women.The district committee would coordinate and review the extension of electrification in the district and consumer satisfaction, etc.Panchayat Raj institutions would have a supervisory / advisory role.Institutional arrangements for backup services and technical support to systems based on non-conventional sources of energy will have to be created by state government

SOME OTHER NOTABLE INITIATIVES LAUNCHED BY THE GOI (GOVERNMENT OF INDIA)

Rural electrification under Minimum Needs Programme launched in 1974

Kutir Jyoti Yojana to provide single point light to below poverty level (BPL) families in rural India launched in 1988

Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana to electrify un-electrified villages as per prevailing definition of electrification launched in 2003

Remote Village Electrification Programme launched in 2001 by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). This programme focused on electrifying remote villages not connected to grid (off-grid) through use of renewable energy sources

Accelerated Rural Electrification Programme in 2003-04electrification of one lakh villages and one crore households launched in 2004

Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY): Launched in 2005, this programme aimed at providing energy access to all by 2009 and at least one unit of electricity per household per day by 2012 as envisaged in NEP (National Electricity policy)2005. All earlier programmes were merged in RGGVY

In 2009, MoP launched Decentralised Distributed Generation Scheme under RGGVY to electrify un-electrified villages through mini grids. This also included villages which receive less than six hours of electricity per day

In December 2014, current government announced Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) with major modifications in RGGVY.

DDUGJY AIMS AT

Separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders Strengthening and augmentation of sub-transmission

and distribution infrastructure in rural areas including metering of distribution transformers feeders/consumers

Rural electrification as per the targets laid down under RGGVY for 12th and 13th Plan.

PRIVATE PLAYERS PARTICIPATING IN RURAL ELECTRIFICATION Mera Gaon Power DESI Power Gram Power Husk Power

have deployed mini-grids and micro grids in rural India. However, barring few examples, these models are yet to become commercially viable and sustainable. Isolation of commercial viability from the threat of subsidised tariffs is one of the major challenges which need to be addressed, for distributed generation.