Srinagar, Aug 09: Jammu and Kashmir is set for a leap towards universal household electrification, with the Centre sanctioning over Rs 196 crore under multiple schemes to connect thousands of homes in some of the Union Territory’s most remote, tribal and border areas.As per the details obtained by Rising Kashmir, J&K will see 15,359 additional rural and urban households connected under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme at a sanctioned outlay of Rs 106.70 crore, with Rs 96.03 crore provided as gross budgetary support.In a separate push to reach historically underserved communities, 13,824 tribal households in the UT have been sanctioned for grid connectivity under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, with an outlay of Rs 89.84 crore. Another 29 public institutions in tribal belts will also be electrified under the same initiative.The push extends to border villages, where electrification work will be taken up under the Vibrant Villages Programme. The schemes also dovetail with PM-JANMAN, aimed at particularly vulnerable tribal groups.It also said that while the Saubhagya scheme (2017-2022) had already electrified 3,77,045 households in J&K, the current interventions target “last-mile” connectivity in pockets where terrain, remoteness or seasonal inaccessibility had left homes in darkness.Across India, 2.86 crore households were connected under Saubhagya, with another 13.6 lakh sanctioned under RDSS and allied schemes. For J&K, officials say the challenge has been sharper in Gurez, Keran, Machil, Uri, and other high-altitude belts where winter isolation can stretch over months.“These are areas where electrification is not just about comfort but survival, education, and economic inclusion,” an official said, adding that work orders for the sanctioned projects would be issued soon.
