While PM Narendra Modi claimed to supply electricity in every household, Marwa village, in Bihar still lurks in darkness.
Marwa is a small village in Katihar District, Bihar, which is in darkness for over ten years. The population in this village is using candles, kerosene lamps and firewood for cooking and lighting.
“The situation is very bad here. We have not been given electricity. My child has a mobile phone, but we can't charge the phone. He takes the phone somewhere else to charge, and they ask Rs.5 - 10. The mobile cost is Rs.1500 and we pay Rs. 3000 to charge the phone”, said Jitni Devi
In 2017, the World Bank report, 178 million people in India were not connected to the electricity grid. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power, he pledged to bring reliable power supply to all. The government identified 18,452 villages without electricity. While his government claimed to have made progress, there are 31 million homes villages which are still missing out. Flagship schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana claimed to provide free electricity connections to 397.45 lakh BPL rural households.
Work of electrifying the village started with installing, an electric pillar in the middle of the village, but the residents are still waiting for electricity. 1500 people in Marwa village who are affected, sent applications regarding this issue numerous times to the electricity department of the district, but they didn't get any solution. While Jitni Devi waits for an answer, she is still spending money on kerosene oil. “Nobody is there to take care of this, no Mukhiya, no Sarpanch, nobody”, said Jitni.
Like Marwa village, there are thousands which are leading their lives in darkness. Lack of regular access to electricity is decreasing the living standards and growth of people. Also, they are India's poorest and most vulnerable citizens, who are affected the most.
Video by Community Correspondent Navita Devi.
Article by Grace Jolliffe, a member of VV Editorial Team.
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