Chhattisgarh: 17 villages in Maoist-hit areas get electricity for the first time

Hindustan Times

16-05-2025

Seventeen villages situated in the dense forests of Maoist-hit Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district have got electricity supply from the grid for the first time under the Mukhyamantri Majratola Vidyutikaran Yojana, according to a statement issued by the Chhattisgarh government.
About 540 families from the forest villages of Katuljhora, Kattapar, Bodra, Bukmarka, Sambalpur, Gattegahan, Pugda, Amakodo, Petemeta, Tatekasa, Kundalkal, Raimanhora, Nainguda, Metatodke, Kohkatola, Edasmeta and Kunjakanhar have benefitted from the scheme, the statement claimed.
'Surrounded by hills, dense forests, reaching these areas was extremely challenging amid Naxalite threat. Providing electricity supply through the grid was no less than a mission in these areas but with the hard work of the electricity department it was made possible,' the government said.
There was joy in the eyes of the villagers when the transformers lit up the villages for the first time. In some of the villages, children danced, while in others, the elderly burst crackers.
Of the 540 families, 275 have got electricity connection so far while the work to provide connection to the remaining people is underway, the statement added.
A 25 KVA transformer was installed in Tatekasa. To facilitate this, a 45-km-long 11 KV line, 87 low pressure poles and 17 transformers were set up, a state-run power company official said.
The work, right from securing no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department to transporting the equipment for laying 11 KV line to these remote villages, was challenging, but it was made possible due to dedicated efforts of the technical team, the official said.
'The priority of the government is to ensure the development of basic facilities in hyper-sensitive areas. Electricity will soon be provided to other villages in the area,' he said.
In February 2025, Chilkapalli received electricity under the Niyad Nellanar Scheme, a state initiative targeting development in Maoist-affected areas. It became the sixth village in the district to be electrified under this scheme.
In January 2024, Timenar, a small village in the Bhairamgarh block of Bijapur district, received electricity for the first time in 77 years. Under the Manjra-Tola Electrification Scheme, electricity was supplied to all 53 households in the village.