On hills and inside forests, 17 remote Maoist-affected villages in Chhattisgarh finally get electricity

The 17 villages are on the hills or surround the hills, covered by dense forests. The district has Bastar region to the south and Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district to the west.

3 min readRaipurUpdated: May 17, 2025 08:12 AM IST

Chhattisgarh villages get electricity connection

The connection comes at a cost of Rs 3 crore under the Mukhyamantri Majratola Vidyutikaran Yojana. (File Photo)

As many as 275 households at 17 remote Maoist-affected villages in Chhattisgarh’s Mohla-Manpur Ambagarh Chowki district recently got connected to the electrical grid.

The 17 villages are on the hills or surround the hills, covered by dense forests. The district has Bastar region to the south and Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district to the west.

The 17 villages house a total of 540 households, of which 275 have received electricity connection to their homes. Work is underway to provide electricity to the remaining houses of those who have applied for a connection, officials said.

The connection comes at a cost of Rs 3 crore under the Mukhyamantri Majratola Vidyutikaran Yojana.

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These remote villages are 30-50 km from the district headquarters. “All the villages have been affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The electricity connectivity will bring a new ray of hope to their lives,” said Mohala Manpur Collector Tulika Prajapati.

“The biggest challenge was to transport and install equipment to villages located in dense forest and on and around the hills. We also got clearance from the forest department as the villages are on forest land,” said A K Ramteke, executive engineer, Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB).

The villages are Katuljhora, Kattapar, Bodra, Bukmarka, Sambalpur, Gattegahan, Pugda, Amakodo, Petemeta, Tatekasa, Kundalkal, Raimanhora, Nainguda, Metatodke, Kohkatola, Edasmeta and Kunjakanhar.

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A Petemeta village resident, Lakesh Ussare, whose household is yet to get the electricity connection, told The Indian Express, “We have still not received electricity in our household, but it has reached the streets of our village. So far, we have been dependent on solar lights, but they run out of charge by 8 pm, after which we live in the dark.”

Ussare, a former sarpanch of the village, said the situation becomes even worse during the monsoon season “as there is no proper road connectivity and the entire village gets muddy, making it difficult to do any activity”.

“I am happy that we are getting electricity and urge the government to speed up the work. We have filled up the forms,” he said.

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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