Last Village Along LoC In Jammu & Kashmir Gets Electricity For First Time Since Independence

The last village along the Line of Control (LOC) in north Kashmir will get electricity for the first time on August 15 since Independence. Since last 72 years, Keran village which is home to 12,000 families had electricity only for three hours in the evening between 6 and 9 pm.

Keran is located on the banks of river Kishan Ganga and is cut off from Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district for almost six months every year due to harsh winters.

A power grid that will now provide the village with electricity for 24 hours will also help residents get rid of noise and pollution caused via a diesel generator set.

"Since last one year we had put the work of electrification of this border area on mission mode and now we have accomplished our goal," Kupwara District Collector Anshul Garg told NDTV.

Apart from electrification, the local administration has also decided to construct and improve roads.

According to the Home Ministry, the newly-designated union territory has witnessed massive development in the last one year. At least 2,273 projects worth Rs 5,979 crore have been sanctioned out of which 506 projects have been completed and 963 would be completed by March 2021, the ministry said.

The Home Ministry said that Sarpanchs have started making payments for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA scheme under which Rs 1,000 crore has been released by the centre.

The government has also approved plans to construct 100 new panchayat offices and repair another 100, many of which were destroyed in the violence that erupted in the state following the death of terrorist Burhan Wani.

Also Read: Madhya Pradesh: Woman Paraded With Husband On Shoulders On Suspicion Of Infidelity, Several Arrested