Thumbs Up For Saubhagya Scheme: Villagers Including Women and Children Get Qualitative Benefits, Shows Study 

A study conducted by the Public Policy Research Centre (PPRC) has stated that the NDA government’s flagship scheme in the power sector, Saubhagya, has brought about definite qualitative changes in the lives of its beneficiaries, The New Indian Express has reported

The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) scheme aims to electrify all the remaining households in the country by March 2019. It has already recorded coverage of over two crores households.

The scheme builds upon the successful completion of the government’s Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) which achieved 100 per cent electrification of all villages in India in 2018.

Vidushi Sahani, a researcher with PPRC, said that the organisation carried out field research in a number of villages in Madhya Pradesh which had completed 100 per cent coverage under the Saubhagya scheme. Earlier, residents of villages in Guna faced difficulty in finding brides for their children. People from these villages are now happy because of better marriage prospects for their children after their homes got electricity connections.

Saubhagya has been especially beneficial for women living in the rural areas and has provided them with a greater agency over their lives. “The women are now more assertive in imposing their choices when it comes to watching television programmes. This marks a stark contrast from earlier days when they had to travel to nearby villages to watch such shows,” the researcher added.

Also Read: 100 Per Cent Electrification Is No Mean Task