Nayagarh: Even as the Centre introduced Saubhagya Yojana to provide energy access and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas and to achieve household electrification in the country by December 2018, Ghadual village on the outskirts of Nayagarh town can be taken as an example of the scheme’s utter failure.
While meters have already been installed at the houses of many consumers of the village three months ago, electricity connection to the households has not yet been provided.
Giridhari Bhatta of the village had applied for electricity connection under the Saubhagya Yojana a year ago. Though a meter was installed at his home, electricity connection still eludes his house as the department has forgotten its next course of action.
Fed up of living in darkness, Bhatta drew a service cable from his neighbour’s house to his household premises and established energy connection.
Not only Ghadual, similar cases are also reported from Narsinghaprasad village of Jemadeipurpatna panchayat. Alike Ghadual, although meters have already been installed here, people are endlessly waiting to avail electricity connections to their houses.
“If this is the poor state of affairs at a village near the town, then one can clearly guess the scenario of villages in the rural pockets of the district,” said a local resident.
While there are 32,974 persons of eight blocks and 5 NACs in the district have applied for electricity connection under Saubhagya Yojana till now, CESU informed that it has already provided power connection to all consumers.
Reportedly, 6733 of Nayagarh block, 6054 of Odagaon, 2651 of Khandapada, 3452 of Bhapur, 4909 of Dasapalla, 2418 of Nuagaon, 1205 of Gania and 4211 of Ranpur had applied for electricity connection. Similarly, 234 of Nayagarh, 193 of Odagaon, 204 of Khandapada, 349 of Dasapalla and 361 of Ranpur NACs had submitted applications for being electricity consumers.
Even as CESU claims that it has successfully provided electricity connections to all households, the un-electrified houses at Ghadual and Narasinghaprasad villages have raised question mark over the power supplying agency’s workability.
On the other hand, LED bulb distribution under the State government’s Ama Ghare LED Light scheme has also been stopped. As per the scheme, each beneficiary possessing ration card under National Food Security scheme are eligible to avail two LED bulbs free of cost. However, after distribution of a few bulbs, the scheme went haywire leading to a complete halt of LED light distribution in the district which has triggered resentment among the beneficiaries.
CESU Executive Engineer Sujit Sahoo said the LED bulb distribution has been halted for some reasons. The distribution will be re-launched in January and February.
Similarly, electricity connections will be provided to all households of Ghadual village soon, he added.
PNN