Sasaram: Residents of 122 villages and hamlets, mostly belonging to a scheduled tribe in the Kaimur hills under Adhaura block, are still waiting for regular electricity, nearly 79 years after Independence, with a proposed electrification project caught in a dispute over compensation to environment, forest and climate change department (EFCCD).Govt had earlier planned to electrify 122 villages in Kaimur district and another 14 hilly villages in neighbouring Rohtas district. However, the project has yet to take off as EFCCD is awaiting payment of compensation before granting the final permission required for carrying out non-forest work in the protected hill area.Kaimur divisional forest officer (DFO) Sanjeev Ranjan said EFCCD would not issue the permission letter for commencing the electrification work until the compensation amount was paid by energy department. He said the demand for the compensation amount had already been raised.The situation is particularly striking as the Kaimur hills are home to villages in what are being described as the first two blocks in Bihar where residents are still awaiting regular electricity even after 79 years of Independence. The hills have been declared a sanctuary area, making prior permission from EFCCD mandatory for any non-forest activity, including the installation of electricity poles, wires and transformers.Electricity department project manager Mukesh Jha said the district administration and EFCCD had already issued the necessary “No Objection Certificates” at the local level. The proposal is now pending before Union cabinet, he said, adding that after approval, the required amount would be transferred to EFCCD, paving the way for the electrification work.On the eve of the assembly elections, the state govt had sanctioned Rs127 crore for electrification of the hilly villages. However, even two years after the sanction, EFCCD has reportedly not received the compensation amount, leaving the project stalled.The delay has added to the hardship of residents who have remained without a reliable power supply for decades. Around 10 years ago, the Centre had introduced an off-grid power system in the area to provide about six hours of electricity a day to a population of more than 70,000. The system was intended to provide basic electricity through one fan and one bulb in each household. However, the solar batteries have since exhausted their capacity, leaving the villages in darkness after sunset.The earlier arrangement of providing one litre of kerosene to each household has also been discontinued following govt’s decision to stop its distribution through the public distribution system.For people living in the remote hills, the absence of regular electricity continues to affect everyday life, education and access to basic facilities.
