Rajouri: For the first time in their life, hundreds of people living in Datote village on the Line of Control (LoC) saw electricity in their native village and termed it a “life changing moment”.
The village has been electrified under the ‘Mission Roshan Mustaqbil’ launched by Gambhir Battalion of the Army under the aegis of Bhimber Gali Brigade.
Locals of this area said that their village Datote falls under Balakote tehsil of Poonch’s Mendhar subdivision and shares its boundary with Rajouri district but there was no electricity and road connectivity.
The Army said that ‘Mission Roshan Mustaqbil’ was initiated by the Army and civil administration with an aim to provide roads and electricity to this beautiful village.
This mission was launched in 2020, and road construction started and by the end of the same year despite constant ceasefire violations, militant threat, difficulties of rocky and mountain terrain prone to landslides and the vagaries of weather, all houses of the village were connected by the road.
“Apart from MGNREGA funds, Army dozers and soldiers made the road through hard rock and along sheer cliffs, sometimes working by both day and night. Constant patrolling along the LoC negated terrorist actions all along,” Army said in a statement.
Facilitated by the ceasefire agreement, electrification was started in 2021 with electric poles and electric wires and installation of transformers.
“Here again apart from assistance from JPDCL, Army helped villagers in laying the cables and provided technical expertise in installation and electrification that was completed in September,” Army said in the official statement.
The first LED bulb was lit up in the village on Saturday evening in presence of Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Inder Jeet; Superintendent of Police Poonch Vinod Kumar; Bhimber Gali Brigade Commander, Vikas Slathia and the Commanding Officer Gambhir Battalion.