STREET LIGHTS OF Rs. 923,880 ARE MERELY A SHOWPIECE

STREET LIGHTS OF Rs. 923,880 ARE MERELY A SHOWPIECE

11-JAN-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA---------------------------The lights installed at a cost of Rs. 923,880 on the overbridge crossing NH19 and the railway line under the Nagar Panchayat have become a mere showpiece. This flyover bridge is the main route connecting Kudra-Lalapur with hundreds of villages and the district headquarters, as well as connecting National Highway 19 to National Highway 30. The lights installed on tall poles on this bridge are merely for show. The Executive Officer of Kudra Nagar Panchayat obtained an electricity connection with consumer number 225 309162319, with a contracted load of 5 kW, 3-phase connection, on 19/5/2023, account number 5233 119244, with a current fixed charge of Rs. 42,500. After obtaining the electricity connection, the lights worked for a few months, but after some time, all the lights gradually stopped working. In previous years, several snatching incidents were reported on the bridge, and residents say they feel unsafe traveling at night. On 1.10.2024, Rs. 2,85,492, on 3.4.2025, Rs. 2,43,890, and on 7.9.2025, Rs. 3,94,498 were paid by the Nagar Panchayat. A total of Rs. 9,23,880 was paid to the electricity board without the lights working. The taxpayers' money is being wasted. After Executive Officer Ujali Raj took charge in 2024, it was decided in a meeting with the Nagar Panchayat president and councilors to disconnect the electricity connection due to the lights not working. However, the connection was not disconnected, which shows a waste of public money and arbitrary behavior. This clearly shows the negligence of the Nagar Panchayat. In September of the current year, the electricity connection was finally disconnected after paying Rs. 3,94,498. The funds provided by the government are being misused. Local residents, including Pradeep Kumar, Aman Pratap, Ram Singhasan Singh, Manoj Tiwari, and Narayan Singh, say that an investigation should be conducted into this kind of wasteful spending.