Achham, January 8:

Despite mention in report books that Batulasain Village Development Committee in Achham has been supplied with electricity, the residents here are yet to see what their homes would look like in the electrified light.

The reality : There is no electricity in the VDC well after 13 years of electrification in the paper and the villagers spend nights in darkness.

Statistics with Remote Area Development Committee of the District Development Committee states that Batulasain VDC was elecetrified in 1995. “Using electricity has become a distant dream,” Keshav Bahadur Batala of Batulasain-7 said.

“Electricity was tested at a water-powered turbine in Taderwa of the VDC in 1995,” said, Sarba BK, a local, adding, “It’s a tale now that there was any such thing.” He said the project had been defunct in no time as substandard equipment was used.

“The consumer’s committee did not take concrete steps for the protection of the project,” local Keshav Bahadur Batala alleged.

According to the DDC statistics, the project was constructed at the cost of Rs 24 lakh and labour contribution by the locals. Equipment for the 10kilowatt hydroelectricity project was swept away by the river before the power was transmitted to the users.

“It is an irony that our village is known among those facilitated with electricity,” Bishworaj Neupane, a local said.