Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government today announced the implementation of daytime electricity supply in 96% of the state’s villages. This initiative aims to provide uninterrupted power during the day, freeing farmers from the challenges of nighttime work, said Energy Minister Kanubhai Desai.

Speaking at a press conference in Gandhinagar, Desai said, “Out of Gujarat’s 18,225 villages, 17,193 have been equipped with 20,51,145 agricultural electricity connections. Of these, 18,95,744 farmers in 16,561 villages are already receiving daytime electricity.”

The minister further stated that under the “Kisan Suryodaya Yojana,” 96% of farmers are receiving daytime power, while efforts are underway to cover the remaining 4%. Most of these villages are in the Devbhoomi Dwarka, Kutch, and Banaskantha districts. The government plans to provide electricity to 632 villages, benefiting 155,401 farmers, with work expected to complete shortly.

The minister explained that of the 16,561 villages already covered, 11,927 villages receive electricity in a single shift from 8 AM to 4 PM or 9 AM to 5 PM. The remaining 4,634 villages are served in two shifts: 5 AM to 1 PM and 1 PM to 9 PM.

“As part of its governance initiatives, the state approved six new sub-divisional offices in Nanachiloda and Sargasan (Gandhinagar), Tharad (Banaskantha), Ghuma and Bopal (Ahmedabad), and Piplag (Kheda), with 251 positions sanctioned for these offices,” Desai added.

Over the past three years, Gujarat has established 30 new sub-divisional and three divisional offices. In the last decade, 10 lakh agricultural electricity connections have been provided, averaging 1 lakh per year. Currently, new connections are issued within 3-4 months if no objections arise.

Highlighting Gujarat’s development, the minister noted that the state’s per capita electricity consumption is 2,238 units, nearly double the national average of 1,255 units. Under the “PM Solar Rooftop Scheme,” Gujarat leads the country with over 2.42 lakh residential installations exceeding 900 MW in capacity.

The state also ranks first in feeder-level solarization under the PM KUSUM-C scheme, with 37 operational plants generating 108.570 MW, benefiting 48,648 agricultural electricity consumers. Gujarat continues to lead in renewable energy with a capacity of 30 GW (Wind + Solar + Hydro + Bio Power), cementing its position as a national frontrunner. DeshGujarat