Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh is known for its power generation capacity, but Khajuri village in the same district has been without electricity for the past three months. The electricity supply to the entire village has been disconnected by the power distribution company due to approximately ₹9 lakh in outstanding electricity bills. The power cut has affected the daily lives of villagers as well as agricultural activities.
Khandwa has six units of hydro, thermal, and solar power projects. These projects have a combined power generation capacity of around 4,318 MW, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the state’s total generation capacity. Electricity generated here is supplied to several districts of Madhya Pradesh, as well as to the railways and industries.
Ironically, villagers in Khajuri, located around 70 kilometres from these major power projects, have been struggling without electricity for the past three months.
Problems Increased After Transformer Failed
According to villagers, the transformer in the village broke down around three months ago. Following this, the electricity company pressured residents to clear their outstanding electricity bills. Subsequently, the power supply to the entire village was disconnected.
The action has also affected consumers who regularly paid their electricity bills on time. Villagers argue that connections of only those consumers who have outstanding dues should be disconnected individually.
Villager Vinod Chauhan said that consumers who pay their bills on time should not be punished for the mistakes of those who have outstanding dues.
The absence of electricity has disrupted household activities in the village. Agricultural work has also been severely affected. Villagers are now demanding that electricity supply be restored and that the issue of outstanding dues be resolved separately for individual consumers.
