Thakurgaon
No electricity in 136 villages
Our Correspondent
There is no electricity in 136 villages under Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon.
According to sources, people of only 43 villages out of 179 are having the facility in the upazila. Sources in Haripur upazila statistics office said the total area of the upazila is 199.43 sq kilometres containing 179 villages and 1, 47,947inhabitants.
The number of primary schools is 102 with the enrolment of 27,444 students and total number of secondary schools, colleges and madrassa is 64 with enrolment of 15,400 students, sources added. Out of 102 primary schools, there is no electricity in 87 schools while out of 64 secondary schools, colleges and madrassas, there is still no electricity in 15 institutions.
Popy, a PSC examinee and daughter of Kafiluddin at Tantipara village in the upazila said in the evening, she has to study under the feeble lantern light. In this way it is very difficult to take preparations for the examination.
Her father Kafiluddin said for the study of his one son and a daughter he is to buy five litres of kerosene oil worth Tk 350 per month. If electricity gets available, the cost would be lesser, he added. In this way, hundreds of students in the villages of the upazila are continuing their studies with immense sufferings due to shortage of electricity.
Mokaddes Hossain, upazila officer of Rural Electrification Board in Haripur said steps have been taken for power connections in four villages and they are working for 12 more villages so that more people could get the facility of electricity in the upazila.
The inhabitants of the upazila demanded immediate electric connections in remaining villages where still there is no electricity.
