On National Sports Day on August 29, the people of Karangagudi village in Jharkhand’s hockey cradle of Simdega district will be bestowed with a gift that will light up their lives. Literally.

The non-descript hamlet, around 40km from Simdega district headquarters, will get electricity for the first time in over 100-odd houses. Work is continuing on a war footing, officials said on Monday.

JBVNL executive engineer in Simdega Vishveshwar Marandi said they have begun installing cement poles for cables to connect the houses with the nearby feeder. “If all goes well and rains don’t interrupt our work, we should be ready to bring power by August 29,” he said, adding that the work began on Sunday after a meeting was held two days earlier under the chairmanship of Simdega Deputy commissioner C Sushant Gaurav.

Simdega is considered to be Jharkhand’s hockey nursery. Yet, it is bereft of all- round development. Manoj Konbegi, general secretary of Simdega Hockey, affiliated to Jharkhand Hockey, the state outfit that governments the game, said Karangagudi village was special.

It is home to five international hockey players and at least 50 national or state level players. “Ironically, people in this village still continue to live without electricity. Villages a few kilometres away have electricity but several tolas of Karangudi aren’t connected. We have been raising this issue before the government for a long time. Finally, the district administration has started work,” he said.

Sangita Kumari (19), an international hockey player who is currently taking part in the India camp, said the biggest problem of being without power was that children find it difficult to study. “Electricity is a necessity today. But many living in my village have never seen it. Some used solar power though. But a regular power connection was needed for studying,” she said.

Sushma Kumar, another player, added, she was happy to learn that they would have power soon. “While roads reached this village a couple of years back, I am happy that soon our homes will also get power like the other hamlets,” she said.

is expected to unlock a special gift to Karangagudi village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district, which is home to over five dozen national and international hockey players. For, this nondescript hamlet located around 40km from district headquarters will get electricity for the first time in over 100-odd houses as ground works in this regard have begun on war-footing, officials said on Monday.