Chasabardi, a nondescript and inaccessible village in backward Redhakhol sub division, situated almost 30 km from the sub divisional headquarters and 100 km from the district headquarters, finally got electrified after solar light panels were installed there on Sunday.
local MlA cum the Deputy Government Chief Whip Rohit Pujari inaugurated the energy system. All the 35 families of the village got a different feeling with solar light dazzling in the village roads and their respective homes.
More so, the villagers also got the rare opportunity to see any MlA in their village after the independence. “Not a single MlA came to our village after independence. But today we saw a MlA for the first time in our village, so also non-kerosene light,” said Sunya Majhi, a 93-year-old man of the village.
“Electricity is a dream here; so also a good road to the village. But we are happy with the solar light and we hope that the village will get electricity connection soon, and also a good road,” asserted Majhi.
“The number of voters is only 40 here. But the MlA has not taken this into consideration as much as the problem of the villagers,” the old man opined.
The existence of the village is equally interesting. It is surrounded by dense forest and hills from all sides. They have to move 7 km to touch a road at Chadapasi. Even their Panchayat office, Balam, is 12 km from the village. Police station and block office is almost 30 km away but the villagers live happily amidst a natural surrounding with good harvesting from agriculture.
“This is only part of the solution at present. I am determined to solve all the problems of the village including a few neighbouring ones,” said MlA Pujari, adding, “I am overwhelmed to see the positive attitude of the villagers. During election, I didn’t come here to ask for votes. But after listening to their problems, I asked the ‘Bati Ghar’ a Bhubaneswar based organisation to light up the entire village,” Pujari maintained.