The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan today directed all District Development Commissioners (DDCs) to regularize all illegal electricity connections of across the valley including Leh & Kargil districts, under SAUBHAGYA (Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) scheme.The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir issued the directions while reviewing the progress of SAUBHAGYA (Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) scheme in Kashmir Division including Leh and Kargil districts.The meeting was informed that Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, shortened into SAUBHAGYA, was flagged off in September 2017, with the objective of electrifying all left-out households.The scheme covers both urban and rural households. Under it, free electricity connections are provided to below poverty line (BPL) households.The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500, which will be recovered in 10 instalments through electricity bills. The approved budget for the implementation of SAUBHAGYA scheme in Kashmir division is Rs 358.95 crores and the completion date is November 2018.District Development Commissioners (DDCs) presented their complete report regarding the progress of SAUBHAGYA scheme in their respective districts. It was informed that the exercise for collecting data of un-electrified households in the districts has already begun through the Executive Engineers of PDD and after validation by the District Level Committee headed by the DDCs.
To achieve 100% household electrification under SAUBHAGYA scheme across the Kashmir division, Divisional Commissioner directed all District Development Commissioners (DDCs) to start the intense drive with PDD engineers to identify all illegal connections in their respective districts and regularize them under SAUBHAGYA scheme. The Divisional Commissioner directed all District Development Commissioners (DDCs) to hold a fortnightly review meeting with PDD engineers and other concerned officers regarding the inventory of new electricity consumers, procurement of poles, transformers, conductors and other materials besides all Additional Deputy Commissioners will hold a weekly meeting in their respective districts. All-District Administrations will send their complete progress report to the Divisional Commissioners office on monthly basis for a further course of necessary action.While directing the DDCs to ensure the success of SAUBHAGYA scheme across the valley including Leh and Kargil districts, Div Com said that they should all work in co-ordinate efforts to ensure that the beneficiaries are identified in a transparent manner, so that the benefit percolates to the genuine ones. He said that the special teams should be formulated in consultation with different line departments to the electric connections are provided to the deserving poor.District Development Commissioner Srinagar, Chief Engineer PDD, Assistant Commissioner and other concerned officers were present in the meeting whereas all District Development Commissioners of the valley including Leh and Kargil districts participated the meeting through video conferencing.