60 yrs on, electricity still eludes residents of Sindri village

SINDRI: They live on the outskirts of one of the best-maintained colonies of Dhanbad district. But the living conditions of the Jamadoba village residents, situated near Sindri cement works of ACC has not changed over the years.
Nearly 150 families residing in the village are yet to be electrified. The village falls under Dhanbad Municipal Corporation but enjoys no road connectivity to the thorough fares of the district.
The village land was acquired by the Sindri fertilizer factory management and those coming here in search of job settled here, informed Muskan, adding that all of them were living there for the last 60 years. While hundreds of bulbs and high mast lights illuminate the ACC colony, our children still study live in darkness. “Living in electricity is probably the biggest dream of our children,” he added. “I was born in darkness and I think I will die without power in my home,” said septuagenarian Sheoshankar Pandey. Echoing similar sentiments, 70-year-old Ramavati Devi said that all she wants was to see her grandchildren studying in a school and living in electrified house.
We have been pitching for electricity since long and nearly 62 families have deposited money with the JSEB for power connectiong but despite carrying out a survey, the state electricity board is not providing us power as both the ACC and Sindri fertilizer factory management is not allowing them to do so, informed Vinod. “There is a primary school in the village with one para-teacher and the state government has even sanctioned funds for construction of a school building but the work has bee put on hold due to objections from the ACC management,” he added. Jamadoba is not the only village situated acquired by the Sindri fertilizer factory.
There are nearly 26 villages situated on the factory land, but they don’t face similar plight, villagers said. If it is an unauthorized village, why is it listed under DMC, they questioned. The villagers had even gheraoed the JSEB office on 9th of April last and the Balaipur circle officer Hema Prasad had assured to talk to higher district officials and sort the issues but of no avail, informed Raju Pandey of Jharkhand Sangram Samittee.
When contacted, JSEB junior engineer Kameshwar Thakur admitted that the villagers have deposited money for power connection in 2005 but the management of the fertilizer and cement factories objected to it.
He, however, had no reply to how other villages situated on the factory land were allotted power connection.