In a positive development, average rural power supply duration has increased from just 12.5 hours a day in 2014-15 to 18.5 hours a day in 2019-20, Union Power Minister RK Singh said on Thursday (4 March).
Addressing the Union Power Ministry’s Parliamentary Consultative Committee, Singh informed about major reform initiatives undertaken by the government in the power sector.
Singh emphasised that the ministry achieved 100 per cent village electrification 13 days before target while 100 pet cent household electrification has also been achieved under Saubhagya scheme, reports Economic Times.
The Power Minister stated that the country has been transformed from a Power Deficit to Power Surplus Nation as at present the total installed capacity in country is 3.77 lakh MW as compared to Peak Demand of 1.89 lakh MW, an official release said.
Singh also informed the committee about the measures taken by the ministry to empower the consumers.
The Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules were rolled out by Power Ministry in December, 2020, with emphasis that power system exists to serve consumers with mandated service standards and mandatory round the clock call center.
Singh also asserted that the nation has achieved the target of “One Nation – One Grid – One Frequency” with the addition of 1.42 lakh circuit kilometres of transmission lines, and a transformation capacity of 437 MVA in FY15-20.