Kolkata: For the last 36 years, every day after sunset, her house plunged into darkness. The family of Sakina Sheikh had to depend on their neighbours even to charge their mobile phones. No this is not the situation of some far-flung village of West Bengal but in Kolkata itself.
Returning home after a long day at work in the sweltering summer heat and turning the fan on at full speed or the air conditioner is nothing new to most people, especially those living in a metro city like Kolkata.
But that has not been the case with the family of Sakina Sheikh. Located on the southern fringes of the city in the Brahmapur neighbourhood of Garia, her house comes under the direct jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
For the last 36 years, every day after sunset, her house plunged into darkness. No, it was not because of a power cut as they did not have any electricity connection for over three decades.
This is the story of Sakina Sheikh and her family who had lived without an electricity connection for 36 years. Due to financial constraints, they could not afford to get an electricity connection. But as the years passed by they realized that it would extremely difficult to live with electricity.
Perhaps by a stroke of luck, a few days ago State's Power Minister Aroop Biswas visited Brahmapur. Although she was a bit apprehensive before approaching the minister, Sakina narrated her ordeal to him.
Hearing this Biswas was taken aback. He swung into action instructing the electricity department to provide the family with an electricity connection. With the help of local councillor Sandeep Das, the connection was provided with the initial installation charge bringing a smile to the faces of Sakina and her family.
“I have been living here for 36 years. We could not afford to get an electricity connection. But the necessity of time cannot be denied. So I had no other option but to inform the minister about my situation. I am grateful to them for their help," Sakina told ETV Bharat.
