Electricity finally reaches Bengal's adivasi hamlet, 79 years after independence. What do the residents have to say?
Hashir Alo Scheme: Seventy-nine years after Independence, electricity has finally reached an Adivasi hamlet in Chakdaha, Tarakeswar. But years of neglect, unemployment and poverty continue to shape everyday life. The story raises questions about political discrimination and equal access to basic civic rights.
Chakdaha, Tarakeswar, West Bengal
Seventy-nine years after Independence, some families were still living without electricity. Just ahead of Deepabali, their homes finally lit up. The change came to the Adivasi hamlet in Booth No. 160 of Chakdaha village, under Astara Dattapur Gram Panchayat in Tarakeswar block.
Paddy fields surround the hamlet. Around 50-60 houses stand in the middle of these fields. Most are mud houses with tiled roofs and bamboo fences. Diwali lights now hang from their mud walls. The hamlet has been illuminated under the government's 'Hashir Alo' scheme.
Around 400 families live in the village. A few have received government assistance to build pucca houses. But many of these houses are still incomplete. Most families live in poverty. Their primary source of income is agricultural labour on other people's land.
Residents say they had no proper water supply either. They claim that water facilities came only after the change of government.
Why were they left in the dark?
Congress, the Left and Trinamool have all been in power since Independence. Yet this Adivasi hamlet remained without electricity.
Residents say they repeatedly approached the electricity department. But nothing came of their efforts. Power lines passed over the village. Their homes, however, remained dark.
Booth No. 160 in Chakdaha has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. In the 1998 Panchayat elections, Sanatan Hansda contested from this booth and won. Residents allege that their political affiliation led to years of neglect.
The BJP's victory in the 2026 Assembly elections brought a change. Electricity finally reached the hamlet.
"I never thought electricity would come so soon. We are extremely happy," Meera Hansda told Inscript.
Santu Pan, MLA from Tarakeswar, told Inscript that he had made a promise during his election campaign. He had assured residents that electricity would be his first priority if he won.
He has kept his word. Smart meters have now been installed on the mud walls of their houses. The residents are delighted.
But there is more to be done, the MLA said. His next priority is to help replace the mud houses with pucca houses.
Degrees without jobs
The lack of electricity affected children's education. After sunset, families depended on kerosene lamps. They used these lamps for everything.
Kajal Hembram brought up four children under these conditions. She told Inscript that all three of her sons are graduates. Yet none has found a job.
One of her sons worked in a factory. He left after not receiving his wages regularly. He is now back home.
Kajal has a simple request. "We have voted for the BJP and brought it to power. It would be good if they could arrange jobs for us."
Electricity is not their only concern. Unemployment remains a major problem. Access to opportunities is still limited. Even in the age of artificial intelligence, many families struggle to secure basic livelihoods.
Not everyone has received an electricity connection
Most households now have electricity. But Shambari Soren's house is still waiting for a meter.
She says the family does not have a BPL ration card. They have been asked to apply online. But even arranging the money for the application is difficult.
Their mud house stands beside a paddy field. Rainwater enters the house during the monsoon. When Inscript visited, the floor was still damp.
The family does not own a bed. They spread jute sacks on the floor and sleep on them.
For a family in such a financial condition, even applying for an electricity connection is difficult.
Shambari explained that she had stayed at her parental home in Bardhaman for nearly 20 years because of her husband's illness. She believes this is why their ration card was never converted into a BPL card.
Still, she is happy that the neighbourhood is no longer in darkness.
The story of Chakdaha raises a larger question. A citizen's political choice is entirely personal. But can anyone be denied basic rights because of the party they support? Electricity, water and other essential services are not political favours. They are basic necessities.
