Adivasi hamlet protests three months of darkness, demands accountability

Candlelight protest in darkness

For three months, residents of Vedullavalasa—a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) Gadaba Adivasi hamlet under Kovvuru panchayat in Rolugunta mandal—have navigated their nights without streetlights. Frustrated by the prolonged darkness, villagers recently staged a candlelight protest, marching through the unlit lanes to draw attention to their plight, as reported by The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle.

The protest took place on Sunday night, according to Deccan Chronicle, which identified the hamlet as Uduvalasa Gadavapalem in Anakapalli district. Both outlets describe the villagers as members of the PVTG Gadaba community and note that the hamlet falls under Kovvur gram panchayat jurisdiction.

Blame and buck-passing

Villagers allege the streetlights remained out because the panchayat's electricity bills and dues went unpaid. When they sought answers, they encountered conflicting responses from officials, as detailed in both reports.

The local lineman blamed the panchayat for unpaid bills, while the panchayat secretary claimed that no demand notice had been issued for the past fortnight. The Assistant Engineer (AE) told villagers to check with the lineman, and the lineman pointed back at the AE, according to the residents.

This lack of coordination between panchayat and electricity department officials has left the hamlet without streetlights, which residents describe as a basic safety measure. Both outlets report that the darkness poses a safety hazard, with snakes, scorpions, and other insects roaming freely, putting women, children, and the elderly at risk. Deccan Chronicle quotes villagers as saying streetlights are "a matter of survival."

Demand for accountability

The villagers submitted a formal memorandum to the Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO), demanding a high-level inquiry into the coordination failure, clearance of pending electricity dues, and swift restoration of streetlights. This demand was supported by K. Govinda Rao, described by The Hindu as a CPI district secretariat member and by Deccan Chronicle as a CPM district executive member, along with local residents Neelapu Devudamma and Ganta Lakshmi.

Deccan Chronicle reports that Govinda Rao called for an inquiry into why the streetlights have not been functioning for three months, insisting on accountability from panchayat and electricity department officials. The outlet also quotes villagers as saying, "If there is any negligence on part of anyone, action must be taken against those responsible."

One protester, Neelapu Devudamma, told Deccan Chronicle that residents had contacted the Electricity department and the lineman several times, only to be told that power had not been restored because the panchayat had not cleared the pending bills.