Electrification project hits roadblock

MANKULAM: The Rajiv Gandhi Comprehensive Village Electrification Project in the 50th Mile in Mankulam panchayat has hit the roadblock owing to lack of government initiative. This has deprived the tribals of the area the privilege of using electricity. Launched eight years back, the project has hardly made any progress owing to the apathy of the officials, villagers blamed.About 500 adivasi families have been waiting eagerly to operate a TV set and other gadgets in their homes, said a villager. The scheme is aimed at benefiting the families living in over half a dozen colonies in Mankulam panchayat.The programme is first of its kind to be implemented in the state. The government in 2004 had taken the decision to implement the project to make the panchayat fully electrified.An amount of Rs 9 crore was sanctioned for the project. The contractor left the project midway about an year back. The transformer was set up about four years back.According to Shijin George, the Mankulam panchayat president, the panchayat has been ignored by the government. It is not alone electricity, but lots of other problems are haunting the villagers, she said.She said that the road connectivity to the different areas in the panchayat is in bad condition.