TRS pans Murmu over power issues in her village, asks 'what will she do for tribals?'

Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) leader Y Sathish Reddy took a swipe at NDA's Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu on Monday, stating that despite a political career spanning over 22 years, Murmu failed to provide electricity to her own village. 

Dungurisahi, the ancestral village of Murmu in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, is still reeling under darkness due to the lack of electricity supply. The 14 households in the small village of Uparbeda still use kerosene lamps to illuminate their houses. 

While Murmu no longer lives in that village, she shifted to Rairangpur, a municipal town around 20 kilometres away from Uparbeda under Kusum block, decades ago.

Following the announcement of her candidature for the top constitutional post, reports regarding the plight of villagers living in the darkness came to the fore. The Odisha government on Saturday announced that it has launched electrification work in Dungurisahi on 'war-footing'.

TRS takes jibe at NDA's Presidential poll candidate Droupadi Murmu

Taking a dig at Droupadi Murmu, who is the first tribal leader to be nominated for the Presidential post, Reddy said, "Despite being in power for so long, she would not provide power to her own village. What will she do now for the tribal community?"

Droupadi Murmu’s ancestral village to finally get electricity

The BJP-led NDA has fielded former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu as its candidate for the presidential polls due this July 18. The issue of power supply in Murmu’s native village became known when journalists reached here to talk to the people, following her nomination. 

The villagers were elated that one among them is likely to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan, but also expressed displeasure as their village is yet to get electricity. 

Murmu’s nephew Biranchi Narayan Tudu lives at Dungursahi along with his wife and two children. His wife said, “We had requested many people to provide electricity to our hamlet, but no one paid any heed."

She said they have not brought the matter to Murmu's notice, though she visits the village during festivals. The issue was addressed to the local MLA and MP during the 2019 election, but nothing happened, said Chittaranjan Baske, another resident of Uparbeda village.

Last week, officials and workers of the Tata Power North Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL) went to Uparbeda with earth digging machines, electric poles, and transformers to ensure the supply of electricity to the portion where it is yet to reach.

“We have issued an order to the Mayurbhanj section of the company to complete electrification work and ensure power supply to the entire Uparbeda village within 24 hours," a senior official of the TPNODL told PTI. “We have no intention to keep the villagers in the dark, but it was so due to lack of certain official clearance," the official said.

(With inputs from agency)