75 years after independence: Bandipora village sans electricity
Tauseef Ahmad
BANDIPORA, Dec 19: The Wevan village of Bandipora district is perhaps one of the rarest places in entire North Kashmir that saw electricity just a year ago since independence. But this feat did not last for long and the village was again thrown into darkness because of the damaged electric infrastructure.
The resentment against the authorities for failing to provide them with electricity is brewing up in this village and is well understood given the advancement in technology in today’s world.
Talking to Kashmir Despatch correspondent one of the local residents Mohammad Lateef said: “The government is making tall claims of providing basic amenities to far flung areas but we have been forgotten since independence.”
“The residents of this village use wood sticks (Lashe) and candles for lighting purposes as the village is yet to get proper electricity. Most of the students left their education midway as the village lacked basic facilities,” the villagers said.
The village is located on the hills; around 45 km from district headquarter Bandipora.
“Cattle grazing is our main occupation. We lack all the basic amenities of life. When we compare our life with the urban populace, we find we are still living in the Dark Age,” the locals added. They said that some children who are keen to study are forced to use candles to prepare for their exams. “The government should listen to our woes and provide us with electricity at an earliest.”
“I have not seen electricity in the village since my birth only a few months last year. I want to become an IAS officer, but I don’t think it is easy to crack the medical entrance exam when you have to study holding a lighted wooden stick in one hand,” said Mehraan, a student of Class 9th.
Having a population of around 150 households all belonging to the Scheduled Tribe community, they complain of systemic government apathy as they are forced to live in the dark and without proper power supply in this digital age.
“The village was electrified around a year ago. After that we saw a few months of electricity. But many electric poles and wires were damaged after the construction of the road that started last year. The damaged infrastructure has not been put in place since then and we are forced to live in the dark. Our repeated pleas to the government have fallen on deaf ears,” Mustafa, a local resident of the village.
“The damaged poles and wires on ground give us hope we will see electricity again and our children will learn and work hard for their future goals,” he added.
Meanwhile officials from Power Development Department (PDD) while talking to Kashmir Despatch said that the village had been already electrified, but due to the construction work of the road, some poles have been damaged, now tenders have been done again for restoring power supply will try to restore it as soon as possible.
