Dhamnagar: Scores of special BPL people are in darkness as electricity schemes of both the state and Central governments were flounded in many parts of Dhamnagar block owing to large-scale irregularities.
People alleged that contractors engaged in supplying electricity to BPL families have left work unfinished after getting their bills cleared. “Crores of rupees have been bungled through the schemes,” they claimed.
Upset over lack of lighting facilities, beneficiaries are bracing for an agitation.
BPL families are entitled to get electricity at subsidized rate under state-sponsored Biju Grama Jyoti Yojana and Centre-sponsored Rajiv Gandhi Bidyutkaran Yojana.
Locals say after bagging tenders, contractors had started electrification drive in 2011—putting up transformers, pitching poles, drawing wires and even fixing meters in BPL houses in some villages like Baharabila, Swainsahi, Behuriasahi, Majhisahi in Kothar panchayat.
“In the last five years, all work has been done but it remains incomplete without electricity connection. Meanwhile, many transformers have gathered dust while coil has been stolen from inside. Utility poles were broken at places,” a local saod. They claimed that contractors have got away with bills with help of officials of the energy department, even without completing the work.
Asked about haphazard rural electrification, officials of the energy department said contractors should have submitted the certificates of completed work to the department, but they have not done it. They have looted lakhs of rupees, they admitted.
The beneficiaries, who hoped for lighting facilities, are a frustrated lot.
For the last five years, as many as 15 BPL families have been pursuing the matter of power at the electricity office, but to no avail.
Beneficiaries like Somnath Swain, Surendra Behera and Pitambar Majhi said last year they met the junior engineer and the assistant engineer.
“After inspection, the engineers pointed out technical snags in transformers and suggested us to meet the executive engineer. But nothing happened till date even after taking up the issue with the executive engineer,” they lamented.
“We will stage an agitation if no step is taken in this regard,” they added.
PNN
