KHULNA, Mar 18: Mrittunjoy Mondal, 20, an HSC candidate of Batiaghata College, became very happy in last one month as he is reading and writing easily along with comfort because they had got electricity.
Mrittunjoy, son of Pratap Mandal, a farmer, lives in a remote village Jharvanga under Batiaghata upazila, was passing his days with very hardship as his poor father could not afford to buy kerosene and candle every day.
"I was very anxious and could not read at night as my HSC exam is near. Many nights I cried for electricity. But Pally Biddut Samity had given electricity connection a month ago," he said while this correspondent visited his residence recently.
Prahlad Chandra Zoarder, 65, a farmer, residence of village Hatbatia told the Daily Observer, farmers of the village became very happy as they got electricity two months ago.
"I passed my days with hardship for irrigation in my crop lands due to lack of electricity and had to wait for rain. But hundreds of farmers are now very happy as they can irrigate their lands through water pump," he told this correspondent while he was irrigating water into his land through pump.
Like Mrittunjoy and Prahlad, many people of Batiaghata became happy as they have connected with electricity for the last few months.
According to Khulna Palli Biddyut Samity (PBS), a total of 30,000 families out of 38,000 of seven unions under Batiaghata upazila in Khulna have brought under electricity connection so far.
The PBS authority informed that the remaining 8,000 families will be brought under electricity connection before June 2018.
Sources said, at least 220 kilometre out of 550 kilometre under Jalma, Batiaghata, Gangarampur, Surkhali, Vandercot, Baliadanga and Ameerpur unions has remained off to get electricity connection. At least 500 families have already submitted applications to the PBS for electricity connection.
Seven unions of the upazila have been divided into two regions for better service by the PBS. Of the two, Jalma, Batighata, Gangarampur and Surkhali are in the number one region while Vandercot, Baliadanga and Ameerpur unions are in the number two. Regional chief is being elected through election after every three years. Customers will get electricity connection through one or two weeks with the help of regional chief.
While talking to Additional General Manager (AGM) of PBS told The Daily Observer that Samity is still incurring loss.
"We sell per unit electricity to the customer at Tk 3.81 but we purchase every unit at Tk 4.51 from Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)," he said.
There is no load shedding as electricity supply is getting smooth here, he said adding that "We also face around 11.54 per cent system loss".
He, however, said customers became very happy due to relentless electricity supply and they paid electricity bill under six slabs.
Customers are paying Tk 3.80 per unit electricity bill for using 1 to 75 units, Tk 5.14 per unit for using 76 to 200 units, Tk 5.36 per unit for using 201 to 300 units, Tk 5.63 per unit for using 301 to 400 units, Tk 8.70 per unit for using 401 to 600 units and Tk 9.98 per unit for using 601 and up, he said.
While visiting village Kismot Phultala, Gagramary and Hatbati recently, this correspondent found that some people were watching television at many thatched houses.
Several villagers including Mohammad Ali, Lutfar Rahman and Shankar Mondal said they could not watch television in their houses earlier due to lack of electricity.
Many of the residents are using electric fans, refrigerators, rice cookers and other electrical equipments.
"Our family members including children also became happy after getting electricity", they added.
Senior General Manager of Khulna PBS Shahiduzzaman told The Daily Observer that every family, who do not have electricity, would get it by June 2018.
"All members of the Samity are working relentlessly to reach electricity to each family in Khulna according to one of the special ten schemes of the Prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Contacted, Basudeb Mondal, an assistant professor of Batiaghata College said that electricity changes the people's life style and rural economy is developing now due to available electricity.
He also said most of the villagers could not see electricity in remote villages of the upazila before, adding that the rest of the villagers who got electricity, had suffered earlier due to heavy load shedding.
