Lead o'kindly light to our villages

Gwalior July 16 (ANI): India may be leading in all fields, to achieve the modern life, the malls in the mega cities, the huge towers, the multiplex cinema halls, but still a number of villages lead their life in darkness.

Himaiyapur and Bilhati of Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh are two such villages where getting electricity is still a dream even after six decades of independence.

Summer is a very difficult time, especially for senior citizens, women, and children in these villages. People sitting under the shadow of tree and using hand fans is a common sight here.

According to Uttam Singh of Himayanpur, "we don't have electricity at all in our village, and we can't avail of any facilities related to electricity... I'm 66 years old now my uncle is 85 years old and we have not seen electricity in our life to this village."

It is a big challenge for the students to study specially during the time of examination. School children study in groups using kerosene lantern.

"We face a lot of problem during summer. Children can't study. It's hot during the day as well as in night. All the time children crave for electricity," opined Girija Bai, homemaker.

Though the district administration has installed poles sans power. The poles look like ornamental hallmarks to villages. Some of the polls have mangled and mesh of wires, perhaps to denote that they are 'electric' poles.

Speaking in his usual bureaucratic terms Gwalior District Commissioner Akash Tripathi said, "The district administration is aware that those villages doesn't have electricity. We will set up an inquiry into it and see why electricity hasn't reached there in all these years. We'll assess electricity connection and estimate it. Once it is sanctioned, we will extend the electric connection to these villages."

Of course, there is a huge gap between power generation, distribution and demand. As such areas, which are electrified, be they urban or rural, do experience erratic power supply.

At one side in cities India is shining with huge shopping malls, multiplex cinema halls but the villages like Himayipura and Bilhati reflect the dark side of the miserable life led by the rural India. By Ashok Pal (ANI)