Centre Sanctions Rs. 1,800 Crore to Light Up Tribal and Remote Areas in Northeast

Agartala: Thousands of tribal families and residents of remote areas across Northeast India are set to receive electricity connections as the Central Government approved projects worth over Rs. 1,800 crore under various power development schemes. This move aims to improve power access in underserved regions, ensuring reliable and round-the-clock electricity supply to enhance living conditions and boost economic growth. 

During the Lok Sabha session on Thursday, Tripura MP Biplab Kumar Deb, along with Mukesh Rajput, Vijay Baghel, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Bansuri Swaraj, Brijendra Singh Ola, and Jagdambika Pal, raised questions about the government’s efforts to provide 24×7 electricity in rural and tribal areas of states like Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. 

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Responding to the query, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said the Centre is committed to improving power accessibility in these regions. He stated, “The Government of India has sanctioned Rs. 62 crore for electrification of 11,664 households in Tripura under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Rs. 43 crore for electrification of 8,189 households under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA).” 

In addition to Tripura, several other northeastern states have received substantial allocations for power infrastructure under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and other initiatives. The Minister stated, “Rs. 436 crore has been sanctioned for Meghalaya to electrify 50,501 households, Rs. 80 crore for Mizoram to electrify 15,167 households, Rs. 70 crore for Nagaland to electrify 10,004 households, Rs. 786 crore for Assam to electrify 1,27,111 households, and Rs. 214 crore for Manipur to electrify 36,972 households.” 

Arunachal Pradesh was allocated Rs. 55 crore to provide power connections to 8,453 households under the RDSS. Additionally, the state will benefit from the Vibrant Villages Programme, which sanctioned Rs. 20 crore to provide electricity to 1,683 households in far-flung border areas. Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh were also covered under this scheme, with Rs. 13 crore and Rs. 6 crore sanctioned, respectively.

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To further promote renewable energy in the region, the Minister highlighted that Tripura will see 1,703 households equipped with off-grid solar-based power connections under the New Solar Power Scheme. He added, “These solar installations are part of a Rs. 50 crore project targeting 9,961 households across multiple states, including Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.” Highlighting the government’s broader efforts, Naik added, “With collective efforts from the Centre and states, the average hours of power supply in rural areas have improved to 21.9 hours and 23.4 hours in urban areas during the financial year 2024.”