Chakdah village in West Bengal’s Hooghly district has got its first electricity connection since India’s Independence a relief for hundreds of families who have not had regular power supply for decades. The work started on November 5, 2026 ahead of Diwali and residents now have a reason to celebrate the festival of lights in a new way.
About 400 ST families live in the village which is under Ashtaradattapur Gram Panchayat of Tarakeswar Assembly constituency. Electricity connections are being given to households now and it’s an important step towards improving living conditions in a remote agricultural community.
Electricity Reaches Chakdah After Decades
Electricity poles had been installed in the village several years ago but no wires had been connected to homes so residents continued to rely on traditional lighting arrangements even as other parts of the country got electricity.
Electricity has brought joy to local families. They said the lack of power had made their daily lives difficult (children struggled to study after sunset).
One resident said it was wonderful and the families in the village were happy to get electricity at last. The improvement will make evening studies and household activities easier, he added.
BJP MLA Santu Pan's Efforts
BJP MLA Santu Pan representing Tarakeswar constituency said he had noticed the village’s electricity problem during his election campaign and had promised residents that if he won the election providing electricity would be among his first priorities.
After he won the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Pan took up the issue with the district electricity department. "Around a month before our first connection came [the department] started installing meters in homes", Pan says.
The MLA said meter boxes have been installed in 50 houses already and more than 100 households are being connected. He added that families listed below poverty line would be given free electricity connections.
#WATCH | Hooghly, West Bengal: Chakdah village under Ashtaradattapur Gram Panchayat in the Tarkeshwar Assembly constituency receives electricity for the first time since Independence. Around 400 Adivasi families are set to celebrate the Diwali festival with a new ray of hope as their village gets its first-ever electricity connection. (05.11)
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2026
Political Allegations Over the Delay
The development has also brought political claims into focus. Santu Pan claimed that the village had voted for BJP since 1997-98 and residents were thus deprived of electricity under previous governments.
Other residents alleged electricity poles had been put up but wires never laid. But these claims have not been independently established as the reason for the village’s long wait for electricity.
The allegations should therefore be taken as statements by the MLA and residents not as findings about why the delay occurred.
A New Beginning for 400 Tribal Families
Most families in Chakdah rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Electricity could help with everyday household chores, children’s study conditions and access to essential services.
Connections are still being extended to more homes but the first installations are a change for the community.
For residents who have waited decades for electricity, power is not just infrastructure — it’s a long-awaited improvement that could bring convenience, better opportunities for children and a brighter future for the village.
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