27/03/2019
*After 70 years, Village In Kashmir finally gets electricity*
>>> Kupwara: After 70 years, Madwah village of Nowgam in north Kashmir’s Langate area of Kupwara district got electricity connection for the first time. The region was deprived of power supply since India achieved independence and J&K acceded to India.
This comes days after the Power Development Department (PDD) department received Saubhagya award for hundred percent electrification in the state.
Locals told , “It is like Eid for us. Even after more than 70 years there had been no electricity here. Earlier also we had approached the concerned officials, MLAs etc but no one heard us. Finally we got it. No senior official ever visited our village,” they said.
The locals thank the Executive Engineer of Power Development Department (PDD) Farooq Ahmad for delivering and fulfilling their decades old demand.
“We have seen electricity in our houses after 70 years. Now the electric bulb is lighting in my house. It is like Eid,” said an elderly, Ghulam Hassan.
Another elderly man said the last senior official of the government had visited our village some 33 years ago. “It was some 33 years ago, a senior officer of the government had come here…if my memory serves me right. Since then we haven’t seen anyone except few politicians who visit us during election time,” he recalled.
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.
However, Bijli is the first basic amenity the government has provided this village. The villagers say they still have demands of road and clean drinking water. “We hope the roads and drinking water will be provided sooner than later. It should not take another 70 years,” the villagers demanded.
According to KNS correspondent, the overall functioning of government run institutions is the village paints a very grim picture.
“Since no one visits to monitor what is happening in this village. So every lower rung employee working here are at their own will. The teachers’ open and close school at their own will. One day in this month only, the school was opened at 3:30 and closed at 4PM. This is how things work here. It is all happening because of absence of proper monitoring,” the locals said. (KNS)
