Baripada: The government implements a host of welfare programmes for the development of people belonging to scheduled tribe and scheduled caste communities, but many such schemes have remained inaccessible to the residents of Karanjia village under Shyamakhunta block of Mayurbhanj district.
About 150 tribal families reside in the village which has been denied electricity among other basic facilities.
“We have not been given electricity services. In these sultry days, we take shelter under shady trees. After sundown, oil lamps are the only option for us to keep our houses illuminated,” said some villagers.
The government had undertaken a step to electrify the village, where each household belongs to BPL category, under a rural electrification drive in 2012. However, only meters and switchboards were provided to them and they too become defunct over the last 5 years.
“The villagers had drawn the attention of the collector towards their problem several times in the past. Officials of the electricity distribution company have been urged, but none pays heed to our problems,” lamented Sushant Mohant, a villager.
Parbati Mohant, another villager, said, “We have become accustomed to living in darkness. Our kids can’t read under oil lamps. Even subsidized kerosene is not supplied to us in the right quantity.”
Arati Mohant, a woman of the village said, “A contractual firm had provided meters and switchboards to all households, but they have remained unused since 2012.”
Sub-divisional officer Rajesh Ghadei, said, “The village will be provided electricity under the Deendayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana.”
However, villagers pointed out that a nearby tourist bungalow at the foothills of Similipal has been electrified while they reel under darkness.
They alleged the government has been apathetic towards electrifying the backward village. PNN