Hoshiarpur village gets Diwali gift — electricity

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, October 27

This Diwali will be a bright one for the poverty-stricken residents of Upparla Malout village in the Kandi area of Hoshiarpur.

After 69 years of Independence, electricity has reached the village. Today — for the first time — the villagers were seen using electric bulbs to illuminate their houses. It took more than two months for Punjab State Power Corporation Limited officials to find a contractor who was ready to undertake the project in this tough, hilly terrain.

Once started, it took a week’s continuous day-night work to set up the required infrastructure so that electricity could reach the village.

Till yesterday, Upparla Malout looked like a village in the 18th century with no drinking water, no road connectivity and no medical facilities all because there was no electricity supply to the village.

Once, years ago, they were promised power supply. They had deposited security for power connections, but even then, they got none.

“In 2003-04, we had deposited the security money with PSPCL for connections, but we were told that the expenditure for laying power lines has to be borne by us. We were asked to deposit Rs 11.25 lakh,” said Amarjit, Sarpanch of the village.

They urged the superintending engineer that being poor, they wouldn’t be able to pay it. He raised the matter at a meeting at Chandigarh and the amount came down to Rs 2.25 lakh. Then, with the intervention of MLA Mohinder Kaur Josh, it was revised to Rs 1.6 lakh, but that too was beyond the villagers’ reach.