Bhubaneswar: While the Centre is going gaga over achieving 100 percent electrification, Odisha government has also joined the bandwagon parroting similar claims.
Even though electricity still eludes 17 lakh families in the State, Odisha Energy Minister Sushant Singh claims that all the villages have been electrified.
“As per available statistics, all the census villages have been electrified,” said Singh.
Singh’s statements appear to be in unison with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who recently stated that every single village of the country has access to electricity.
Two days back, Singh had informed the Odisha Assembly that only three villages in Mayurbhanj and one in Pallahada are yet to be electrified.
But the stark reality of Odisha is the contrasting picture of State government's rosy claims and lakhs of houses submerged in darkness.
A reality check by OTV revealed that electricity is still a distant dream for residents of Ghutupada village under Sabdega block of Sundergarh district.
Though the block and the office of the electricity department are barely 1.5 kms away from the village, the residents here are yet to get electricity.
Forget electric cables, poles for supply of power are yet to be in place in the village.
Elsewhere, though electric poles were installed at Badakachhar village in Sadar block of the district three years back, power connection is yet to be provided.
“We are yet to see electricity in our village for which we are facing numerous problems,” said Pramila, a resident of Badakachhar village.
Not only Sundergarh, Bolangir’s Lalitnagar is yet to get electricity even after so many years of Independence. Though transformers were installed after several complaints by people, power is still missing.
Both BJP and Congress MLAs have alleged that the electrification of every village has only remained in pen and paper.
“In my constituency in Sundergarh which shares borders with Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, there are over 100 villagers which are yet to be electrified,” said Congress MLA, Prafulla Majhi.
BJP MLA Rabi Nayak on the other hand blamed Odisha government for such deviation.
“Even after installation of transformers, electricity is yet to be provided to several villages,” said Nayak.