Electrification work under the central scheme nears completion in Jhumra, Bokaro. (Pankaj Singh)

Purnapani and Pachmo villages in Maoist stronghold Jhumra will get electricity by the end of the month, thanks to Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

Though DVC was supposed to complete electrification of 419 villages in Bokaro district within September under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme, an unlit power sub-station hampered the task of bringing power to 12 villages in Jhumra.

More than 20,000 residents of the dozen odd villages, Purnapani and Pachmo being the most populated, were forced to continue living without power even after the deadline elapsed as a sub-station at Karma-Kejli in Gomia block was not lit up by Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) as planned.

Fed up with the delay on the part of JSEB, Bokaro deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar assigned the task of making the sub-station operational to DVC. Officials on Thursday claimed that they had already got two feeder lines working, and the third and final one would also start working within 48 hours, facilitating power supply to the remaining villages by the end of the month.

Speaking to The Telegraph, an administrative official said of the total 419 villages to be electrified, work had been completed at 411. Once power supply reached the two biggest villages in Jhumra, six other villages, with a population of less than 40 in each, would also be electrified in no time. The six villages are in Chas and Chandankyari blocks.

The Bokaro deputy commissioner, meanwhile, was all praises for DVC. Kumar said the DVC officials took up a tough challenge and had nearly completed the task on hand. He added that he was closely monitoring the work as he wanted residents of Maoist dominated areas to get power as soon as possible.

Outlining his plans for the future, Kumar said: “After electrification, my priority will be for construction of a 23km road from Rahawan to Jhumra,” Kumar said.

Speaking about the problems his men were facing, DVC superintending engineer Anil Kumar Kashyap said the biggest hurdle was absence of motorable roads. Labourers had to carry concrete electricity poles uphill to install them. “Carrying the poles is the toughest job. Had their been good roads, the poles could have taken on trucks and installation would have been that much easier. Work has definitely been delayed but we are determined to complete total electrification within four weeks at any cost,” Kashyap said, adding that working in Maoist territory was always a risky proposition.

Electrification of Maoist-dominated areas is top priority for the Planning Commission, Union home ministry as well as Jharkhand government.