Latehar: Development has entered a village in Jharkhand after it braved Maoist threats to get electricity connection.

“Farming has improved after electricity came here as we don’t need to bother about buying diesel,” says Sukhdev Oraon, a council member of Garu, a village in Latehar district and about 175 km from the state capital of Ranchi. “Although the voltage is low, people are happy with the step,” he added.

The village received electricity for the first time during Diwali that was celebrated on October 30.

Village chief Shiv Shankar Singh said they had waited a long time for electricity. “Government representatives had been assuring us of providing electricity for a long while but finally this year only, we experienced it,” he added.

He said his village had long been ignored in development schemes as Maoists had opposed any development work there, ndtv.com reported.

“No private builder was ready to take the contract. It is only after the CRPF gave them assurance about the safety and security, they started building roads,” Ramesh Kumar, Commandant of 112th battalion of CRPF said.

He said their armed troops used to provide them cover so that Maoists could not attack or hamper the work. “Now, the entire area is well connected with the road,” Kumar added.

The paramilitary official said they have earned people’s trust.

“We approach people and involve them in our planning. We distribute our numbers and remain in touch with them,” he added.

Ram Lal Prasad, MLA representative of Garu, CRPF presence has brought lots of changes in the area.

Sanjay Prasad, a local resident, said the villagers celebrated Diwali “for the first time in a true sense.” Sudhir Yadav, a villager, said some elders got to see how a bulb works for the first time.

Raju Prasad Yadav, another villager, said he bought a television on his wife’s insistence. “We use it to watch mostly news and sometimes TV serials. Now, several families in the area are buying TV sets. Electricity here is round the clock.”

The electrification of the village was almost impossible without the involvement of Labhar area, which was once a training camp and launch pad of Naxals, Deputy Commandant of CRPF Prakash Chandra Badal said.

“Labhar was liberated by CRPF from Naxals in 2011. It is now a CRPF camp from where they are operating in the area. CRPF has assisted the local administration in the all round development of the area,” Badal said.

“Now we are not scared of Naxals. We are safe and secure here. It feels like the CRPF is our guardian in the area,” Jugal Kishore Prasad of Haratu village said.