This Chhattisgarh village gets electricity for the first time since Independence

Jhalpi Para village in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district got electricity connection for the first time. The region was deprived of power supply since independence.

This comes few weeks after ANI had reported the discontent of residents of the village over the absence of power supply.

Locals told ANI, "We felt as if we were still the slaves of Britishers as even after more than 70 years of Independence there had been no electricity here. We want to thank the media for amplifying this issue. Earlier also we had approached the concerned officials, MLAs etc but no one heard us, it is after the media highlighted this problem they took note of it."

R Naamdev, engineer-in-charge said that it was through media he came to know about the absence of electricity in the village.

He said, "I came to know about this through you. I was not aware that there was no electricity in that village. Locals told us that though transformers were installed 5 years ago, the meters were installed a few months back, yet there was no electricity. However, the process has now been completed."

On February 23, ANI had reported the discontent of residents of the village over the absence of power supply there even while claiming that they received electricity bills regularly.

The villagers alleged that there is no electricity connection in the houses but meters have been installed due to which they are receiving electricity bills.

The district administration, however, denied the claim of villagers receiving electricity bill while assuring that power supply will be provided in the area very soon.

In March last year, the Government of India had stated that out of 18,452 villages in India that were power deprived 3 years ago, 17,181 have been electrified. Others are uninhabited or classified as grazing reserves.

-ANI