RDSS Electricity Work Remains Incomplete After Seven Months, Villagers Flag Serious Safety Hazards In MP's Manawar
· Free Press Journal
Manawar (Madhya Pradesh): Work under the Centre’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), launched in Gulati village in April 2026 to improve street lighting and electricity distribution, remains incomplete even after seven months.
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Residents have raised concerns over alleged substandard pole installation, damaged cables and open pits, demanding an investigation and action against those responsible.
According to villagers, 25-foot iron channel poles have been installed in pits reportedly only 1-foot-deep and filled with cement, raising fears that they could collapse during strong winds.
Cables remained scattered on roads and near house entrances for months, with some sections lifted onto poles only after the issue was highlighted through newspaper reports, photographs and videos.
Residents said several cables remain unsecured and some were damaged by passing vehicles.
Resident Kailash Sanpada alleged that digging a pit for a pole outside his house damaged the village’s main drinking water pipeline. He claimed foul-smelling wastewater entered the pipeline for several days, forcing residents to consume contaminated water.
A water supplier later repaired the leakage privately, but the pit remains open. Sanpada demanded that the work be completed promptly or the pole removed, the pit filled and the ground levelled.
Villagers also alleged that the contractor assigned the work was a tailor by profession and questioned his technical expertise.
They raised concerns over the alleged silence of the sarpanch and district panchayat representative Kapil Solanki despite repeated complaints.
When contacted, a senior official in the Electricity Department, Kalam Tadwad, expressed surprise that the work remained incomplete after seven months and assured residents that he would order an investigation and take appropriate action.
Residents have demanded a transparent technical audit in their presence, installation of poles according to prescribed standards, closure of open pits and legal or disciplinary action against the contractor and officials found responsible.
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