ROURKELA: The Sundargarh administration is all set to electrify 14 hilly and forested hamlets affected by Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in Lahunipada block. The hamlets of Bhutura and Phuljhor gram panchayats (GPs) mostly house tribal communities including the Paudi Bhuyan, a primitive vulnerable tribal group (PVTG).
Sources said on November 23, the district rural development agency (DRDA) floated tenders for improvement work of electrical system under Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana (BGJY) and Biju Saharanchal Vidyutikaran Yojana (BSVY) in Sundargarh and electrification of OMC’s periphery villages through District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund. Opening of bids will take place on December 6 with an ambitious target to electrify households of these hamlets by April 2022.
Not long back, these hamlets, located on hills amidst thick forest cover, were only accessible on foot. Now, most of the hamlets are connected with motorable roads. The electrification project is being taken up at an estimated cost of around Rs 9 crore as movement of transport vehicles and heavy equipment has become possible.
Recently, around 600 poor families living in complete darkness have been covered under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana. DRDA sources said setting up overhead wires and electrical installations is not going to be easy as main lines have to be sourced from the sub-station at Gurundia with the power distribution networks envisaged to run through 20 km of hostile mountainous and forested terrains.
DRDA project director BS Patel said after installation of distribution networks and transformers, the targeted households will be electrified by April 2022. Separately, 141 rural pucca houses in other mining affected areas of Lahunipada have been recently completed. The administration and Paudi Bhuyan Development Agency have initiated efforts to construct roads by cutting the hills.