Residents give 48-hour ultimatum to restore power; accuse Junior Engineer of corruption and negligence
News Article:
Etawah, Uttar Pradesh – June 10, 2025:
In a major show of frustration and anger, residents of Khilchipur village under the Takha Block in Etawah district took to the streets on Tuesday after enduring a month-long power outage. The relentless heat and humidity have worsened the situation, making life unbearable, especially for children, the elderly, and women.
Villagers staged a strong protest against the electricity department, accusing officials of ignoring their repeated complaints. Despite submitting grievances through both online portals and direct communications with departmental authorities, no action has been taken so far.
The most serious allegation was made against the Junior Engineer (JE) of the area. Locals claim he collected ₹10,000 from villagers under the pretext of repair work. However, after holding the money for six days and doing no work, the JE returned the amount on the seventh day without any explanation or solution.
“This is outright fraud and negligence,” said villager Deshraj. “Our children and elders are suffering. If authorities continue to ignore us, we will be forced to intensify our protest.”
The aggrieved residents have issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding immediate restoration of electricity. Failing this, they have warned of staging demonstrations at the block and district headquarters.
Currently, the entire village is plunged into darkness and despair. The protest saw participation from prominent locals including Sughar Singh, Shivkumar, Harichandra, Rambabu, Lakhan Singh, Pramod, Vinod, Mukesh Chandra, Mahipal Singh, Shiv Singh, Captain Singh, Chandrabhan, Vijay Bahadur, Sarmod, and Girendra among dozens of others.
Etawah authorities have yet to issue an official statement. Meanwhile, residents remain determined to escalate their protest if their demands are not met.
