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| Residents of Mangala Saga basti celebrate 65th Republic Day in Rourkela on Sunday. Picture by Utatm Kumar Pal |
Rourkela, Jan. 29: Residents of a locality in the heart of the city had a joyous Republic Day celebration this year.
The local residents said this was their best Republic Day celebrations this time, as one of their basic needs got fulfilled.
On January 26, the residents, who had been fighting hard for electricity connections, got to enjoy the comfort of electricity due to the fruitful efforts of Rajya Sabha member Dilip Tirkey.
At least 500 people of Mangala Saga basti had to suffer for the past 30 years due to absence of electricity, despite being located in the central part of the city.
The residents, who grow green vegetables mostly spinach, said they had been running from pillar to post at several departments and meeting officials for ages.
“Our children could not study after sunset. Though the city remained lighted, we had to confine ourselves within our houses in the evening. We had also been deprived of information and entertainment,” said local resident Sridevi Sahu.
They are of the view that tall talks by politicians remain on papers. During the elections, politicians of all hues visit them and make promises. But once the elections are over, promises are forgotten, said another local resident.
“We met Dilip Tirkey, who belongs to our area. He sanctioned money from his local area development fund and pursued the matter with the authorities. And now, we got one of the most essential commodities of today’s world,” said resident Biranchi Panda.
The MP sanctioned Rs 7 lakh for electrification and provision of streetlights on the roads.
The work got over by January 26, and on the occasion of Republic Day, Tirkey inaugurated the project. “It had been a long-pending demand of the local people, who remained deprived of this facility even being in a city. When they approached me, I extended my support to them,” said Tirkey.
Along with their area getting electricity, the roads also got streetlights.
