Visakhapatnam: The remote tribal hamlet of Gudem in Rompalli gram panchayat of Alluri Sitarama Raju district started gleaming with lights on Wednesday after it received electric power supply on Wednesday for the first time since India attained Independence in 1947.
The electrification of the village marks the end of over seven decades of darkness for the 17 families that live in this hilltop hamlet. This breakthrough has come thanks to Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, who responded to the villagers’ plea just five months ago and expedited the electrification project.
Working with funds from the central government and personnel of the AP Electricity department, power authorities installed 217 electricity poles, covering a distance of approximately 9.6 kilometres to take the power lines to the hilltop village.
Further, the state government provided each of the 17 households with five bulbs and a fan.
Located 50 kilometres away from the Anantagiri mandal headquarters in dense forests of the ASR district, Gudem had for decades remained virtually cut off from the modern world. Villagers lacked basic infrastructure, including roads, safe drinking water and electricity.
Despite repeated appeals to officials over the years, their situation remained unchanged, until they approached Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan.
The electrification project had its own challenges. Electricity poles had to be laid along a distance of 9.6 kilometres of forested hills and rocky terrain. Workers transported poles manually and formed special teams to dig through rocky hills in extremely difficult conditions. The entire cost has come to over ₹80 lakh.
On Wednesday, coinciding with the Karthika Pournami, officials activated electric power in all the 17 homes. In gratitude, residents garlanded a portrait of Pawan Kalyan, who they have credited with transforming their lives.
The Deputy Chief Minister acknowledged the central government’s role under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in allocating funds and praised the coalition government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for providing the basic amenities.
Electricity supply is through hybrid power generation, combining solar power and a wind turbine under the PM Janman scheme. Additionally, a special transformer has been installed to ensure reliable power supply.