Nuagaon: The claim of the Centre on full electrification of villages apart, there still exist many villages where electricity is a far cry. Glaring examples are Badajiri, Sanajiri and Tukuda villages in this block of Nayagarh district. Some 60 tribal families live in these three villages and they have not got power supply so far.
These villages lack basic facilities including a concrete road, health, education and drinking water facilities. The lack of a proper road is the main obstacle in the development of the villages. “We are still not Independent. The government is not doing anything for us. We were made to plant electric poles on promise electricity supply to our habitations would start. It’s been six years, but there is no electricity yet,” the village committee president Rabindra Mallick said.
As a result, the locals trek to neighbouring villages even to charge their mobile phones. Sometimes, they have to pay Rs 10-20 for this service. Students face problem in reading their textbooks at nights under the shade of oil lamps. After sunset, it’s virtual darkness. For fear of wild animals, the villagers remain indoors till sunrise.
Snakes and reptiles stray into houses and inhabitations at night, endangering lives. The villagers expressed resentment over the delay in supply of electricity and pleaded with the administration to provide electricity without further delay.
