Village where Naxals killed 76 CRPF men gets electricity after 15 years

A village in the Maoist-hit district of Sukma is getting re-electrified after the ultra-left rebels destroyed the power supply infrastructure 15 years ago.


The light vanished from the Chintalnar village when Maoists, in a bid to disrupt the development activities in the district, uprooted electricity poles.


Located about 80 kilometres from the district headquarters of Sukma district, the village once deprived of basic amenities due to the strong foothold of the Maoists is now slowly getting back to the path of development.


Talking to ANI, the residents of the village expressed happiness over the electrification of the area.


"Electrification of this area is a major relief for all of us. It will be easier for children to study at night. It has been more than ten years since the Naxals uprooted the (electricity) poles. We had solar light, but that only fulfilled our basic necessities," said a villager.


The electrification of the village is in line with the Chief Minister Raman Singh-led government's mission to ensure power supply in all the village of the state by June 2018.


"The Naxals kept people deprived of electricity. Our jawans sacrificed their lives for this (electrification) and now it is our responsibility to provide them (villagers) with all the facility. By June 2018, we will provide electricity to every village," the chief minister had said.


The Chintalnar village first came into the spotlight in the summer of 2010 when in an ambush Maoists killed 76 security personnel, who were on an area domination exercise near the village. -- ANI


Image: Electricity poles being laid in the village. Pic: ANI