Imphal: The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Churachandpur, has noted that several villages in Manipur, particularly along Manipur’s southern border of Churachandpur district near the Myanmar border, remain without electricity, relying solely on solar power, and are facing severe power shortages as well as limited mobile connectivity in this digital age.
KSO Churachandpur President, Minlal Gangte, stated that there is an urgent need for electrification and mobile network connectivity in several villages within the district.
He highlighted that L. Khaukual village, located along the Imphal River near Gun Lui close to the Indo-Myanmar border, continues to lack electricity and mobile connectivity. He further noted that such deficiencies are not limited to L. Khaukual alone.
Data collected by the KSO indicates that at least six other villages in Sangaikot Sub-Division, Saisom, G. Gamphazawl, Selshi, Haopijang, T. Canaan, and S. Gelbung, continue to face similar challenges regarding power and connectivity.
The KSO President stated that the lack of infrastructure in these villages came to the organization’s attention during its Assembly on March 13 and 14 in the remote village of L. Khaukual, held under the theme “Be a Harbinger of Change in Societal Development.”
He noted that there is a glaring gap in basic infrastructure, contradicting the 2018 official declaration that all Indian villages had been electrified under the Prime Minister’s vision of universal rural electrification.
Emphasizing that a central focus of the Assembly was the persistent developmental disparity in Manipur, the president stressed the need for equitable growth across all regions. He underscored the importance of implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and other educational reforms to strengthen the sector, adding that ensuring all educational institutions in the district operate in accordance with NEP guidelines remains a priority.
While Leisang in Manipur was declared India’s final electrified village in April 2018, remote areas, particularly in districts like Tamenglong and Kamjong, continue to face severe power deficiencies, with some villages remaining without electricity or having only erratic power supply.
The KSO, Churachandpur District, has strongly urged the concerned authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to address these infrastructural gaps and ensure the provision of basic amenities at the earliest, in the larger interest of the public.