Days after the government announced electrification had reached every village in India, the World Bank backed the government’s claim saying that India is doing more on electrification than any other country. India is doing “extremely well” on electrification with nearly 85 per cent of the country’s population having access to electricity, the World Bank has said.
Leisang in Manipur was the last village to get an electricity connection, according to government records a village is considered electrified if 10% households, schools and health centres get access to electicity.
“India is doing extremely well on electrification. We are reporting about 85 per cent of India’s population has access to electricity,” said Foster, lead World Bank author of the latest report on Energy Progress. This figure, she pointed out, is higher than that of the Indian government. “That might surprise you. The government is currently reporting in low 80s,” she said.
According to the report the rapid growth of electricity access in India is propelled by the country’s $2.5 billion electrification programmes to reach universal electrification.
While the World Bank’s methodology is based on a household survey, which includes even those who are off grid, the figures of the government are based on official utility connection, she said.
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