Biswajit: ₹151 crore received under Saubhagya Scheme
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 01 2022: Power minister Thongam Biswajit said that the Centre has released Rs 151,34,50,926 to the state for implementation of Saubhagya Scheme, and another fund of Rs 45,82,62,619 is yet to be released.

Clarifying on media reports regarding the scheme during a press meet held at his official residence here on Thursday, Biswajit said that the report is baseless and publishing such baseless report will discourage the officials engaged in the implementation of the scheme.

The minister also appealed to the media fraternity to cross check any allegations with the department before publishing such reports in order to avoid misleading the public.

He then urged the dailies, in which the report was published, to disclose the officials being charged of offering negotiation instead of providing reply to an RTI application.

As a power minister since the last term, he feels that Sauhhagya Scheme is one of the Schemes, which the department implemented in a transparent manner as it is a scheme through which the government can provide electricity connections to poor families, the minister.

So far, the Centre has released Rs 151.34 crore under the scheme and another fund of Rs 45.82 crore is yet to be released.

As MSPDCL was able to achieve the electrification target before the deadline, the Centre provided the 5 per cent state matching share as reward grant.

As such, the allegation of misappropriating Rs 198.16 crore mentioned in the report is completely baseless.

Number of target beneficiary households under the scheme is 1,20,746 and the department has been able to provide electric connection to 1,09,254 households till date.

District-wise numbers of electrified households are Bishnupur (5247), Chandel (13,631), Churachandpur (17,490), Imphal East (6,27o), Imphal West (7,160), Tamenglong (12,421), Thoubal (14,690) and Ukhrul (11,546).The scheme, which aims to provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country, is a public welfare scheme and there is no instance of the department hiding information in this regard.

One can visit the department office and get the details even without filing RTI application.

Progress of the scheme implementation is updated on the national portal of the scheme and the department cannot forge these details.

He also offered to provide the list of beneficiary households so that anybody could verify through field survey while adding that they can charge the department if they find any discrepancies in their survey.

Biswajit further informed that the scheme is implement -ed based on the 2011 Census report and as such, some new villages and new households may be increased in the last decade resulting in some left out villages or households.

The media report mentioned that the electricity connection provided in Leishang village, which was announced as the last village of the state to get electric connection, was taken up under Saubhagya scheme, which is false.

In fact, the village was electrified under 12th plan of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), he added.

As for the fund received from the Centre under the scheme, anybody can cross check the amount with the sanction letter copies available with the department.

REC sanctioned Rs 103.58 crore on July 30,2018, Rs 60.27 crore on October 8 and Rs 17.20 crore on October 23 of the same year.

Apart from these funds, the Centre has not released any other fund under the scheme, he maintained.

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