Tihidi: Thousands of families have been provided electricity connection under Rajiv Jyoti scheme and Soubhagya Jyoti Yojana in Tihidi block of Bhadrak district, but several left-out families are not sure whether they will get the facility by March 31, 2020. However, the authorities have failed to reveal the exact number of families left out under the scheme.
Notably, the deadline for electricity connection under Soubhagya Jyoti Yojana will end March 31, 2020.
According to reports, 13,000 families were included in the two schemes as beneficiaries. However, scores of families in the area who are deprived of this facility are reeling under darkness.
Surprisingly, sources in the Tihidi electricity sub-division said only left-out families will be provided electricity connections.
Various quarters and organizations have expressed concern over the deadline which is only two months away but several beneficiary families have not been connected with power.
Notably, Rajiv Jyoti scheme was launched in April, 2011, and BPL families were supplied electricity. However, all families were not provided electricity within the deadline.
Power supply was provided to several homes in the second phase. Later, Soubhagya Yojana was launched in April 2018 with the sole aim of providing electricity to left-out families by December 31, 2019.
Due to slow pace of work, power connections could not be provided to identified families on time and the deadline was extended to March 31, 2020.
Laser Cable, an agency which has been assigned to provide electricity supply, said the left-out families will be given power connections within the deadline.
Several BPL families who had sought power connections but were not enlisted are unsure whether they will get electivity at all.
According to Sub-divisional Officer Jitendra Behera, these families will be provided power supply only after announcement of a new scheme. And then, the district electricity committee will take a final call on identifying the beneficiaries.
The number of left-out families is negligible and these families were left-out because of their ignorance about the scheme, he added.
PNN
