MP-adopted panchayat without power

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, March 18

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana has failed to benefit residents of Baroh village in Jagjitnagar panchayat of Kasauli tehsil as they are yet to get power connections. The panchayat was adopted by Shimla MP Virender Kashyap under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) in 2014 and residents of 11 villages were hopeful that various Central schemes would benefit them.

Raju, a resident of Baroh village, who does tailoring at Jagjitnagar, could not get a power connection despite taking up the issue during Jan Manch at Chandi village.

He said 2-biswa land available for BPL families remained confined to files and that he had a few means to make a living.

With poor road connectivity and little enhancement in the water availability, this rural dwelling presents a picture of neglect. Even as the government is promoting Digital India, the village is yet to get basic facilities like drinking water and road connectivity.

The BSNL did enhance its connectivity by erecting towers, but the panchayat has a little to boast of in terms of development.

Metalled roads elude most villages. The main road, which connected Jagjitnagar to Kasauli, is fraught with potholes and has not been repaired for years. The villagers did talk of some roads being constructed and streetlights being installed, but little change is visible in the panchayat ever since it was adopted by the MP.

The Modi government’s “Padhega India, toh Badhega India” was another far-fetched dream as lack of staff in primary and high schools is another area of concern.

“There are only two teachers in the local primary school. Even the high school lacks adequate staff. Little efforts have been made to provide adequate staff in the schools. School managements have hired private teachers to meet the requirement,” Ramesh Kumar, a villager, said.

“In summer, there is water crisis. Natural sources dry up and supply is not received for weeks at times. No new scheme has been conceived for years and the existing schemes have failed to provide water in the peak summer,” Hemlata, another villager, said.

MP Virender Kashyap, who admitted that scarcity of funds was a deterrent, said, “I have tried to ensure that various Central schemes benefit villagers. Cattle health cards have been made. All eligible people have been given social security pension and they have also been covered under the health insurance scheme. Jan Dhan accounts of all villagers have also been opened to provide them benefits of various Central schemes.”

He, however, said: “More funds are required to maintain roads. I will take up the issue of providing dedicated funds to develop the panchayat.”

He added that it was not possible to spare adequate funds from the MP Local Area Development Scheme as the entire constituency had to be covered and this had acted as a deterrent in undertaking more development of the panchayat.

Deprived of basic facilities

• With poor road connectivity and little enhancement in the water availability, Baroh village in Jagjitnagar panchayat  presents a picture of neglect. 
• Even as the government is promoting Digital India, the village is yet to get basic facilities such as drinking water and road connectivity.
• The BSNL did enhance its connectivity by erecting towers, but the panchayat has a little to boast of in terms of development.