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

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 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.

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.”

Comments

Irrational? Basis for fear among Hindus about being 'swamped' by Muslims

I was amused while reading an article titled "Ham Paanch, Hamare Pachees", shared on Facebook, by well-known policy analyst Mohan Guruswamy, an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Guruswamy, who has also worked as an advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, seeks to probe, as he himself states, "the supposed Muslim attitude to family planning"—a theme that was invoked by Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister ahead of the December 2002 assembly polls.

Why's Australian crackdown rattling Indian students? Whopping 25% fake visa applications

This is what happened several months ago. A teenager living in the housing society where I reside was sent to Australia to study at a university in Sydney with much fanfare. The parents, whom I often met as part of a group, would tell us how easily the boy got his admission with the help of "some well-meaning friends," adding that they had obtained an education loan to ensure he could study at a graduate school.

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

Gujarat slips in India Justice Report 2025: From model state to mid-table performer

Overall ranking in IJR reports The latest India Justice Report (IJR), prepared by legal experts with the backing of several civil society organisations and aimed at ranking the capacity of states to deliver justice, has found Gujarat—considered by India's rulers as a model state for others to follow—slipping to the 11th position from fourth in 2022.

Punishing senior citizens? Flipkart, Shopsy stop Cash on Delivery in Ahmedabad!

The other day, someone close to me attempted to order some goodies on Flipkart and its subsidiary Shopsy. After preparing a long list of items, this person, as usual, opted for the Cash on Delivery (popularly known as COD) option, as this senior citizen isn't very familiar with online prepaid payment methods like UPI, credit or debit cards, or online bank transfers through websites. In fact, she is hesitant to make online payments, fearing, "I may make a mistake," she explained, adding, "I read a lot about online frauds, so I always choose COD as it's safe. I have no knowledge of how to prepay online."

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Of lingering shadow of Haren Pandya's murder during Modi's Gujarat days

Sunita Williams’ return to Earth has, ironically, reopened an old wound: the mysterious murder of her first cousin, the popular BJP leader Haren Pandya, in 2003. Initially a supporter of Narendra Modi, Haren turned against him, not sparing any opportunity to do things that would embarrass Modi. Social media and some online news portals, including The Wire , are abuzz with how Modi’s recent invitation to Sunita to visit India comes against the backdrop of how he, as Gujarat’s chief minister, didn’t care to offer any official protocol support during her 2007 visit to Gujarat.

Area set aside in Ahmedabad for PM's affordable housing scheme 'has gone to big builders'

Following my article on affordable housing in Counterview, which quoted a top real estate consultant, I was informed that affordable housing—a scheme introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—has deviated from its original intent. A former senior bureaucrat, whom I used to meet during my Sachivalaya days, told me that an entire area in Ahmedabad, designated for the scheme, has been used to construct costly houses instead.

Just 5% Gujarat Dalit households 'recognise' social reformers who inspired Ambedkar

An interesting survey conducted across 22 districts and 32 villages in Gujarat sheds light on the representation of key social reformers in Dalit households. It suggests that while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's photo was displayed in a majority of homes, images of Lord Buddha and the 19th-century reformist couple, Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule, were not as commonly represented.

Search This Blog