india

Updated: Sep 14, 2016 10:50 IST

Hemendra Chaturvedi

It took a 23-year-old woman’s complaint to the Prime Minister’s office in August to ensure that power supply to Bidhiya (also called Madhuban), a remote village in Etah district, was restored after 11 years on Tuesday.

The villagers are delighted with the development and are thankful to Deepti Mishra who had lodged an online complaint with the PMO which set the ball rolling for the restoration of electricity supply to Bidhiya.

“Deepti has done what we could not do in 11 years. She is a bright girl and had been that way even when she was a student at the village,” said Ranveer Singh Chaudhary, a village elder who considers Deepti as his granddaughter.

Soon after electricity first reached the village in January 2005, the power line was damaged during a storm in June that year.

“Initially, the villagers made efforts to lodge complaints, primarily at the block level and with the electricity department to get the power line repaired. But we had limited resources and so most of the villagers gave up after some time. However, Deepti continued to pursue the matter and finally got electricity restored at the village,” said Chaudhary, adding that the villagers would now apply for valid electricity connections.

The electricity pole re-erected in Bidhiya village. (HT Photo)

Raj Kumar, executive engineer (rural), Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (DVVNL), confirmed that the damaged power line was repaired on Tuesday. “The damage caused to the line has been rectified and three transformers have been placed in the village,” he said.

However, the DVVNL is in a fix now, he added.

“There are no registered consumers in the village and as such we can only supply power to those who have valid connections. Even the woman who made the complaint does not have a connection on record,” stated Kumar.

Speaking to HT over phone, Deepti said, “Why should the villagers have applied for electricity connections when the power line was damaged (so soon after the village’s electrification) and no supply could be made to any of the houses? Now that the supply lines have been restored, the villagers will apply for connections.”

Villagers in Bidhiya watch the electricity poles being erected. (HT photo)

Her father, Shiv Dass Mishra is a proud man. Mishra who has four other children, acknowledges Deepti’s zeal and said that he was delighted that the village would finally “light up”.

Deepti studied in Bidhiya village from class 8 to 12. Later, she moved out for higher studies and completed a mass communication course from Noida.