OVER 80% OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN MOST STATES NOT ELECTRIFIED.
Most of the states have over 80 per cent of their rural households plunged in
darkness. Bihar leads the pack, with only 5.57 per cent if its 1.22 crore rural
households electrified as on March 31, 2001, while Uttar Pradesh and Assam have
electricity in only around 11 per cent and 12 per cent of their rural
households, respectively.
Meghalaya (only 16.34 per cent of rural households electrified), Orissa and
World Bank are among the other low ranking states in terms of penetration of
electricity among rural household. Orissa has managed to electrify only around
17 per cent of its rural households, while World Bank has electrified about 18
per cent of its 88 lakh rural households, according to power ministry estimates.
Alarmed at the slow rate of electrification of rural areas, the ministry has
drawn up action plan for electrification of all villages by 2007 and is
targeting electrification of all households in the country by 2012. Of the 11.15
crore rural households in India (as per the 1991 census) only 30.54 houses have
been electrified so far, as per estimates.
On the brighter side, the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Daman & Diu have
the highest number of electrified rural households in the country. Over 98 per
cent of rural households in Lakshadweep and around 93 per cent of households in
Daman and Diu have been electrified by March 2001.
Himachal Pradesh has also managed to electricity around 86 per cent of its rural
households, on account of exploitation of its vast hydro-electric potential.
Punjab has also electrified about 77 per cent of its rural households, as
against the all-India average of around 30 per cent.
TOWARDS LIGHT
State Total no of % or households Total no of %
Rural households State
having or households Electricity Rural households
All India 111539448 30.54
Andhra Pradesh 10340765 37.50
Arunachal Pradesh 147903 33.88
Assam
3326700 12.44
Bihar 12251565 5.57
Goa 131923 81.82
Gujarat 4792660
56.43
Haryana 916620 63.2
Himachal Pradesh 876834 85.86
J&K ** **
Karnataka 529740 41.75
Kerala 4030870 41.95
Madhya Pradesh 9047710 34.49
Maharashtra 8991280 58.45
Manipur 222035 41.73
Meghalaya 264470 16.34
Mizoram 62510 35.47
Nagaland 172354 47.16
Orissa 5168270 17.45
Punjab 2357725 76.98
Rajasthan 5663010 22.44
Sikkim 69984 57.12
Tamil Nadu 8427020 44.49
Tripura 439101 28.5
Uttar Pradesh 18092360
10.96
West Bengal 8895470 17.75
UT
Andaman & Nicobar 41756 53.62
Chandigarh 16859 65.25
D&Nagar haveli 23613 51.2
Delhi 163920 59.85
Daman & Diu 9538 92.87
Lakshadweep 3655 97.65
Pondicherry 61228 51.2
(Source : 1991 census and power ministry estimates " Census not held in J&K in
1991"
