For the first time, 17 Naxal-hit villages in Chhattisgarh get electricity

Seventeen villages nestled among nearly inaccessible mountains and dense forests in Naxal-hit Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh have got electricity from the supply grid for the first time, officials said on Friday.

About 540 families will benefit from the electrification, which has been done at Rs 3 crore under the Mukhyamantri Majratola Vidyutikaran Yojana, they said.

Due to the difficult terrain, reaching these areas was extremely challenging amid the Naxalite threat. Providing the electricity supply through the grid was no less than a mission in these villages, said an official statement.

The villages had access to solar power to light up bulbs, but faced maintenance issues. In many villages, solar panels got stolen, forcing children to study under kerosene lamps, said officials.

 

Celebrations broke out in the villages Katuljhora, Kattapar, Bodra, Bukmarka, Sambalpur, Gattegahan, Pugda, Amakodo, Petemeta, Tatekasa, Kundalkal, Raimanhora, Nainguda, Metatodke, Kohkatola, Edasmeta and Kunjakanhar after they were connected to the power grid recently, it said.

In some villages, children danced, while in others, the elderly burst crackers to express their happiness as it was the moment they had waited for decades, it said.

Of the 540 families in these 17 villages, 275 have got electricity connections so far. The work to provide the power supply to the remaining households is underway, said an official.

Under the project, a 25 KVA transformer was installed in Tatekasa. For this purpose, a 45-km-long 11 KV line, 87 low-pressure poles and 17 transformers have been installed, a state-run power company official said.

Securing a no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department and transporting the equipment for laying the 11 KV line to these remote villages were challenging, he said, adding that the dedicated efforts of the technical team made it possible to complete the project.

"The priority of the government is to ensure the development of basic facilities in hyper-sensitive areas. Electricity will soon be provided to other villages in the region," he said.

Manpur-Mohla-Ambagarh Chowki district, located around 150 km from the capital Raipur, shares its borders with the Naxal-hit Bastar region of the state and Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.