Day 34 – Q 5.Rural electrification has the potential to become a driver of rural economic growth. Do you agree? Substantiate.
5. Rural electrification has the potential to become a driver of rural economic growth. Do you agree? Substantiate.
ग्रामीण विद्युतीकरण ग्रामीण आर्थिक विकास का चालक बनने की क्षमता रखता है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? पुष्टी करें।
Approach:
- Introduction
- Potential of rural electrification
- Steps taken by government
- Challenges involved
- Conclusion
Introduction:
As per the government’s rural electrification website, Grameen Vidyutikaran, only 0.21 percent of India’s 600,000 villages are completely electrified. Further, the quality of the available power is even worse. This is heartening given availability of electricity has direct relation with overall well-being.
Rural electrification and rural economic growth:
- Agriculture sector- Machination, Agro-processing industries, Cold storage, Drip and sprinkler irrigation will all be possible.
- Industrialization- More jobs, less migration to urban areas thereby improving rural economy as well as society. It will give boost to small scale industries and SMEs in rural areas and would also help in revival of power looms.
- Financial inclusion- Mobile banking
- E-governance
- Women empowerment bringing more women to mainstream rural economy.
With feminization of agriculture mechanization is the need of the hour and for it happen electrification is quintessential. Electrification and thus street light, less grey areas would result into more secure environment helping them to attend schools, colleges, work place etc.
Government measures:
- Saubhagya scheme- To provide electricity to every household by 2019.
- DDU Gram Jyoti Yojana
- UDAY scheme- Restructuring Discoms.
Challenges:
- Power sector reforms are pending. High NPAs.
- Flawed definition of rural electrification- If 10 percent household of a village is having electricity connection the village is considered as electrified. First of all this limit is too low, secondly electricity connection is different than actual electricity delivery.
- Renewable energy sources- Unreliability
Conclusion:
Rural electrification is required for the success of schemes like Rurban mission, Doubling of farmers’ income by 2020 and Digital literacy. It will have huge impact on not only rural economy but overall society. Thus, the steps taken by government must be implemented in true spirit.
Best answer: Ankita Jeph
