PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, Dec 18: The Jharkhand government’s claim of 100% rural electrification has come under scanner as at least seven villages and hundreds of smaller sections of the village are still barred from electricity.
Three villages of Panki in Palamu district, two in Khunti, one in Hazaribagh, and one in West Singhbhum are still waiting for electricity. People of the village have appealed to the electricity department dozens of times, but no action has been taken regarding the issue yet.
Electric poles were dropped for electrification in Ulibeda Tola of Tonto block of West Singhbhum 4 years ago, but these poles are still intact. The Electricity Department says that Ulibeda will be electrified by January 2022.
Gudkuva village of Barkagaon block of Hazaribagh district is still living in the darkness even after 74 years of Independence. The people of the village are forced to spend the night in the light of earthen lamps and lanterns.
The Santhal-dominated village of Jinga mountain of Gomia block of Bokaro is also deprived of electrification. Similarly, there is no electricity in the two villages of Khunti. The people of Sarduka Vantoli village of Karra block are still living without power,
Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) Principal Secretary Avinash Kumar said that every village in the state is provided with the facility of electricity but there are few smaller places in the village itself where people gather and settle down which are newly formed and the government is trying to fulfil the needs there also.
“After receiving applications for electrification from those smaller sections of the village, the issue is being considered and electricity is being provided to those places,” Kumar said.
On the question of providing electricity to those newly formed places, he said that it is a never-ending process as every day a smaller section of a village is occupied and a new ‘Tola’ is formed.
