Bargaon: Even as the Centre, a couple of days back, had claimed that no village in the country is left without electricity, it was nothing but an eyewash, alleged the residents of Lakraghara village under Bargaon block in Sundargarh district.
Even as it has been over 70 years since the country got independence, they are yet to see an illuminated electric bulb in the village, rued the tribal residents.
Worse, the women of the village have to trek more than two km of hilly terrain to fetch potable drinking water from a stream, it was learnt.
While the village, with 22 families of tribal Munda community, is surrounded by hills from all sides, oil lamps and kerosene lanterns serve as the sources of light during the night. People mostly remain indoor after sunset due to the threat from wild animals and reptiles.
With risk of falling from the hills increasing in rainy season, people prefer to use the dirty water from farmlands for drinking purpose and often suffer from various waterborne diseases. Even as the administration had drilled two tube wells in the village, they stopped working after a few days.
Though there is a small pond in the locality, it dries up in summer forcing the women to travel miles to collect water from the stream. Their repeated pleas with the administration have so far evoked no response, the villagers alleged, adding, none of the officials ever turned up in the village.