NSSO report suggests Gujarat's lag in household power consumption vis-a-vis several other Indian states

Based on NSSO's household survey

By Our Representative
Fresh figures released by India's powerful National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), based on its 68th round of survey, have exposed the loud Gujarat government claims of the highest electricity per capita consumption in Gujarat compared to any other major Indian state. Released recently in “Household Consumption of Various Goods and Services in India, 2011-12”, the survey-based report suggests the electricity consumption in Gujarat’s household is lower than nine states both in urban and rural areas out of 20 major Indian states.
The figures show, in the rural areas, the per capita household electricity consumption is 10.7 units per capita per month, while in the urban areas twice as much – 23.6 units. However, Gujarat’s electricity consumption in the rural areas was found to be less than that of Andhra Pradesh (15.7 units), Haryana (15.8 units), Himachal Pradesh (31.9 units), Jammu & Kashmir (16.4 units), Kerala (17.8 units), Maharashtra (11 units), Punjab (23 units), Tamil Nadu (17 units), and Uttarakhand (13.7 units). The all-India is 8.9 units per capita per month.
In the urban areas, according to the NSSO data, Gujarat’s per capita per month household electricity consumption was found to be 23.6 units, which was lower than Andhra Pradesh (25.6 units), Haryana (36.5 units), Himachal Pradesh (48.6 units), Jammu & Kashmir (29.2 units), Kerala (29.7 units), Maharashtra (27.7 units), Odisha (23.9 units), Punjab (35 units), and Tamil Nadu (36.4 units). The report shows that the all-India average is higher than Gujarat's -- it is 25.8 units.
Interestingly, the figures which official Gujarat government sources quote to prove a higher consumption of power include the electricity consumed by industrial and agricultural sectors as well, hence they do not show how much are common masses consuming. If one takes these two sectors into consideration, indeed, then the per capita per month electricity consumption would come to 138.6 units per capita per month. This is higher than all states except Punjab (150 units), and double that of India.

Based on NSSO's household survey

The NSSO figures, however, go to suggest that, while Gujarat’s industrial and agricultural sectors seem to be consuming very high electricity -- at least double than what the country consumes -- and also more than nearly all major states, when it comes to power consumption by individual households, Gujarat’s lag is conspicuous and discernible. "The report goes to suggest that Gujarat was just an average state under Narendra Modi as chief minister of Gujarat between 2001 and 2014, and not the best, when it came to electricity consumption", a senior economist commented.

Explaining the data, the NSSO report states, “In case of electricity there was, in rural areas, in the seven-year period between 2004-05 and 2011-12, a rise of 36 per cent in the proportion of electricity-consuming households (compared to a rise of 6 per cent in urban areas) and of 57 per cent in per capita quantity of electricity consumed (compared to 29 per cent in urban areas).”

The report adds, “Electricity made up about 50% of fuel expenditure in the average urban household and 22% in the average rural household. Electricity was consumed by 96% households in urban areas and 74% in rural areas.”

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