Sajid Raina
Bandipora, June 30 : Notwithstanding the official claims about rural electrification in Kashmir, electricity still remains a dream for many far-flung areas. One such village is in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district which is without electricity for decades now.
The residents living in Boinaar-Nunbal village of Bandipora are still being forced to reel under darkness in absence of electricity since the last seven decades.
The village comprising more than 30 households is situated only a few kilometres away from the district headquarters where people are spending sleepless nights in absence of power supply.
Locals who mostly from Gujjar community told the news agency— that they have been facing multiple problems in absence of electricity since the last seven decades while officials don’t even bother to visit the village to redress their genuine demand.
The locals say they have made numerous representations to successive governments for electrifying the village but to no avail.
“Since the time I was born I have not seen electricity in my village. Everyone comes here for their own purposes. They are not willing to do anything for the development of this village,” said a 62-year-old Khalil Khan, a local resident.
He said that they have now lost the hope of getting the village electrified as they have been running from pillar to post from the last more than seven decades.
“This is very unfortunate that in today’s world the village is suffering for want of electricity. Our village is far and we cannot even protest to make the concerned authorities hear us. Who will listen to us from here?” he said.
The villagers said that the students have to face the maximum brunt as they are the worst sufferers due to lack of electricity in the village. “We have no other option but to use firewood to make our children prepare for exams. I doubt its 21st century as we appear to be living in the Stone Age,” said another local resident.
Meanwhile, the villagers urged the Lt. Governor administration to personally look into the matter and help resolve the problem being faced by the villagers.
When contacted, executive engineer PDD division Bandipora, Ghulam Qadir said that the villagers should have come to his office to seek redressal of the problem. “Since the issue has come into my notice I would try to redress the issue at an earliest,” he said—(KNO)
