Jajpur: Electricity connection has been finally provided to Nagada, a hilltop tribal village in Sukinda Chromite valley of Odisha's Jajpur district which had hogged the headlines three years ago for the death of 21 children due to malnutrition, officials said.
The power connection was given on Wednesday after the Odisha Lokayukta summoned six district officials over misappropriation of funds allocated for the development of Nagada on November 2.
"Earlier we had electrified the village. But, due to some technical problems, we did not charge it. We rectified the fault and restored the current," said Tapan Kumar Behera, Executive Engineer of power distribution company NESCO, Jajpur Road division.
He said they electrified 24 houses of Upper Nagada village on Wednesday.
"We have supplied power connection to 24 houses in Upper Nagada in the first phase. We will supply current to both Makhi and Tala Nagada in phase manner and the entire process will be completed in just 10-12 days," Behera said.
Jajpur Collector Mihir Prasad Mohanty, Project Director of District Rural Development Agency Manoj Kumar Behera, Sukinda BDO and other district officials were present during the charge of electricity connection.
The state Lokayukta on Saturday summoned senior officials including Project Director, DRDA, Sukinda BDO, executive engineers of rural works division Jajpur-1, Nesco Jajpur Road division, rural water supply and sanitation division (RWSS) and district social welfare officer (DSWO).
The Lokayukta had directed the officials to file replies within six weeks in a case over misappropriation of funds sanctioned for the development of Nagada.
The order came over a report filed by a RTI activist before the Lokayukta in Bhubaneswar. The state government had sanctioned Rs 23 crore for the development of Nagada village following the malnutrition deaths.
However, despite the spending of huge funds, there is no change in the lifestyle of Juanga tribals who live in three hamlets of Nagada, the activist had alleged in his complaint.
A remote village under mineral-rich Sukinda block in Jajpur district, Nagada has been in news after death of around 21 children due to malnutrition between March and July, 2016.
The state government had promised to ensure development of the area after the malnutrition deaths triggered country-wide uproar.