Phulbani,30th Aug 2025: Many remote villages in Kandhamal district remain without electricity despite official records showing the entire district as electrified. Villages deep inside forests are still in darkness at night, with residents living in fear of wild animals. The lack of electricity also disrupts mobile services and all types of online work.
The central government’s solar power initiative aimed at providing alternative energy in the district has made disappointing progress. Awareness campaigns were conducted, but the target has not been met. Officials say that the government aims to achieve 100% electrification within the next year.
In Siriguda, local residents had petitioned the government 24 times over the past 24 years to activate a grid that had been installed. Despite this, the government’s response has been slow. The district administration has prepared a detailed project report worth ₹30 crore for electrifying unelectrified villages, which will initiate the electricity distribution work once approved.
So far, electricity has reached only 342 habitations. The district has 2,599 villages and habitations across 171 panchayats, meaning most remain unconnected. Villages in Baliguda, Kotgarh, Tumudibandh, and Daringbadi blocks face the most severe problems.
Two high-capacity grids in Phulbani and G. Udayagiri remain operational, but the grid built in Daringbadi near Siliguda—costing nearly ₹100 crore and completed 8 years ago—is still non-functional due to delays in forest clearance required for tower construction.
Even villages connected to the grid under Phulbani division face issues of low voltage and frequent power cuts due to insufficient electricity supply.