The launch of the Saubhagya scheme for electrification of all villages in India in 2017 has not helped Nngshyrkon village in West Khasi Hills, residents of which still get by with kerosene lamps.
“Our people have not only been suffering because of pathetic and deplorable roads, lack of bridges, etc but we have been living without electric supply to date,” Sordar of Nongshyrkon-B, Tropik Shyrkon, told Highland Post recently.
Informing that the village comprises 38 households, he said that the people in the village use kerosene for light with no access to any kind of electricity supply.
“We have heard of a central scheme that aims to give electric supply to remot villages and while electricity poles have been dispatched to Nongshyrkon-A, which is adjacent to our village, nothing has been done to date and people in these areas are all living without electric supply and proper roads,” he said.
Solar devices are also used by those who would have no other way of charging their mobile phones, which are practically a necessity in the 21st century.
The poor road system Shyrkon alluded to means that villagers have to trek, physically carrying the sick, elderly or injured, for three hours just to reach Maweit village, from where they can travel to Nongstoin.
“We have been totally ignored and the government has turned a blind eye to our region for a very long time and I pray that the government gives us roads and electricity to ease the misery we are facing,” he said.
On Wednesday the leader of the opposition, Dr Mukul Sangma, had accused the government of failing on various fronts, including in the implementation of the central government’s Saubhagya scheme to provide electricity to all households.
