Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, attending the winter session of parliament, has written on his X-handle: “The BJP’s brazen attempt to introduce a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BILL today, WHILE THE CONSTITUTION DEBATE IS STILL UNDERWAY in Parliament, is nothing short of an unashamed attack on democracy.”

“The One Nation One Election bill seeks to ROB THE PEOPLE OF THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT to vote regularly — A right that holds governments accountable and prevents unchecked power. This is not just a bill rather it is a direct assault on the very foundation of our democracy built through the sacrifices of our founding fathers. Bengal will not sit silent. We will fight tooth and nail to protect the soul of India and crush this anti-democratic agenda. Bring it on!”

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The Diamond Harbour MP asked the minister of rural development three questions: (a) the details and total number of rural households without 24×7 electricity supply in the country, State-wise;

(b) the details and total number of rural households without tap water connection in the country, State-wise; and

(c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure 24×7 electricity and running water to every rural household in the country?

The minister of state in the ministry of rural development Kamlesh Paswan replying to the TMC MP’s query, said on (a) to (c): “So far as electricity supply to rural households is concerned, as per the information provided by the ministry of power, has always supplemented the efforts of the states through schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) etc., to help them achieve the objective of providing quality and reliable power supply to all households. As reported by the States, all the inhabited un-electrified census villages in the country were electrified by 28 April, 2018. A total of 18,374 villages were electrified during DDUGJY (State wise details enclosed as Annexure- I). Under DDUGJY and thereafter under SAUBHAGYA, as reported by all States, electrification of all willing households was completed by 31 March, 2019. A total of 2.86 crore households were electrified during SAUBHAGYA period (State wise details enclosed as Annexure- II). Both the schemes stand closed as on 31.03.2022.

The Government of India is further supporting States for grid electrification of left-out households during SAUBHAGYA, under the ongoing scheme of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), launched in July, 2021.”