Bandipora, Oct 15: The joy of the locals knew no bounds when electricity lines were finally laid for the first time in 70 years in the small hamlet of upper Boinaar in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. However, despite the infrastructure in place for almost a year and a half, their dream of seeing electricity has not been fulfilled yet.
In the small hamlet, around 60 households are hoping for power supply to their homes.
Situated almost 6 to 7 km from the district headquarters and 2 km uphill from Onagam village in town outskirts, the hamlet craves for electricity.
Though connected by a road for some years now, the villagers rue the lack of electricity despite the government promises of 100 percent electrification in rural areas.
The villagers said that they had been without electricity for seven decades now.
The villagers said that only meters away, Lower Boinar, a part of this village had already been electrified.
The inhabitants of this area, who are mostly tribals, said that around a year and a half ago, electric lines were laid and infrastructure set up after working on the project for 5 years.
However, locals alleged that the concerned department never made efforts thereafter to get this place electrified and kept them reeling under darkness,.
Sarpanch Abdul RaheemBanya from the adjoining village said that the villagers had not witnessed electricity in their homes for 70 years.
Miskeen Khan, an elderly villager from Upper Boinar village said, “Electricity is a dream which is still not coming true for us.”
“In almost my entire life, I haven’t seen bulb light in my house,” Khan said.
Another inhabitant of the village, Farooq Ahmad Khan said that the proposed electrification scheme of the area was envisioned several years ago but had not been completed yet.
An official in the Power department in Bandipora said that the scheme was being executed under the centrally-sponsored PMDP by Jammu and Kashmir’s Projects Wing.
He said that the village had been given two transformers.
However, one among them was adjusted in Lower Boinar due to some issues arising there.
“One of the transformers was installed in Upper Boinar but isn’t functioning yet,” the official said.
He said that the problem of the villagers would be solved soon as the agency was putting in efforts to electrify the village.
According to the officials, the various transformers installed by the Projects Wing were yet to be charged.
AEE JKPDD Project Wing KhurshidNaqash said, “As the area is hilly, the contracting company, ShalakaInfratechPvt Ltd took time to lay the power infrastructure. The labourers had got involved in some dispute with the contracting company involving the court due to which some work is pending in the village.”
He said that the department was actively involved in resolving the matter before winter and trying its best to electrify the village.
“Our executive engineer and other officers are visiting the village on Saturday and will ensure the problem is resolved,” Naqash said.