UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana Progress Report 2024 – Check Data of Electricity Bill Collection by Women

Check UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana Progress Report 2024: Two years back, Bijli Sakhi Yojana was launched by Uttar Pradesh government for women empowerment and now its progress report is released. More than 2 years after the launch of UP Bijli Sakhi Scheme, it has so far witnessed electricity bill collection in the rural areas worth Rs. 625 million by a total of 5,395 women so far. In this article, we will tell you about the data of electricity bill collection by women volunteers across the state.

What is UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana 2024

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had started UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana as special employment scheme for women. In this scheme, the state govt. provided jobs to women for electricity bill collection in rural areas. The main objective was to benefit common man as people will not have to make visits at the concerned govt. office for depositing their electricity bills as the “Sakhi” would collect power bills from their home.

Launched in May 2020, the initiative was launched as part of a larger scheme called Uttar Pradesh Banking Correspondent Sakhi scheme. Under UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana (a part of UP BC Sakhi Yojana), women volunteers were trained and appointed to conduct door to door meter reading and bill collection exercise.

UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana Progress Report

Under the instructions of CM Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) had signed an agreement with the National Rural Livelihood Mission in all districts of the state to allow Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to collect bill payments from the citizens at their doorsteps At present, 73 cluster level associations have been registered on UPPCL portal at https://www.upenergy.in/ as an agency for electricity bill collection in 75 districts of the state. A total of 15,310 women self-help group members have been selected for the purpose, out of which 5395 active members have done bill collection work worth Rs. 625 million.

Data of Electricity Bill Collection by Women in Uttar Pradesh

Work of Electricity Bill Collection by women in Uttar Pradesh has, by far, generated a total commission of Rs. 9,074,000 to the members of the Women Self Help Groups. On an average, a monthly income of Rs. 3000-5000 and even more is being earned per woman from bill collection,” the report mentioned.

Story of Women Volunteer Benefited from UP Bijli Sakhi Scheme

On 17 December 2021, a press release stated that Anita Kumari, a resident of gram panchayat Bhasaun in Auraiya district is one of the many women benefiting from UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana. Mrs. Anita became a part of Self-Help Groups (SHG) engaged as “Bijli Sakhi”. She had to leave her studies due to the poor financial condition of the family following which she joined the self-help group running in the village. She started working as a Vidyut Sakhi (Bijli Sakhi) from December 2020 but initially, due to social disregard, she had to quit it. The financial condition of her family was deteriorating every day and then with the support of her father and brother she started the work again.

Mrs. Anita Kumari quoted that “It was only when I had started working that I began to feel confident, self-reliant and that I deserve respect. Times have changed for good. These days, even women can do technical work if they work hard enough. I am earning Rs 8000-9000 per month and with this income, I am able to support my family as well as bear the expenses of my studies.”

The state government’s UP Bijli Sakhi Yojana aims to empower women and help them generate extra income by engaging them in the collection of electricity bill payments from the rural residents at their doorsteps seems to be paying off well.