Kendrapada: Around 45 families in Jajpur district’s Tikarpada village are living without electricity even after seven decades of Independence. The tribal-dominated village at the foot of Daitari hillock is home to nearly 250 people who rely on kerosene lamps and candles for basic lighting. “We have urged the officials multiple times to provide electricity to our remote village but no action has been taken so far,” said Rajarani Dehuri, sarpanch of Kansa gram panchayat under which Tikarpada falls.Naresh Banara, 62, of Tikarpada said, “Our generation has lived in darkness but we want our future generations to benefit from the fruits of electricity. We listen to news and songs on radios and mobile phones. Some villagers trek 1.5 km to nearby Kansa village to watch TV.”“Lack of electricity in the village has a big impact upon the lifestyles of tribal people. Kerosene lamps are a lifeline for us,” said Laxman Chatara, 42, another villager. “I have been reading under candle light but students in other villages have electricity,” said Gurubari Juang, 12, a student of Tikarpada. Manik Bari, 32, a homemaker, said, “It becomes very difficult after dark. We have to either burn candles or lamps. But when it’s windy, even keeping them burning near the hearths becomes difficult”. Tikarpada lies under mineral-rich Sukinda block. “Sukinda valley contains 97% of the country’s chromite ore reserves, yet villagers living without electricity,” said Amarbara Biswal, a Kendrapada-based social worker.Hrusikesh Das, engineer of TP Central Odisha Distribution Limited, Sukinda, said, “Due to geographical hindrances, they are yet to get power supply. However, we have already started electrification works in Tikarpada and villagers will get power soon.”
