For the first time since independence, electricity has reached Buthani Vantangiya village in Gonda district of UPafter 77 long years. The village now shines with a radiant glow, ushering in transformative changes in the lives of its residents.

Located in the Chhapiya block of Gonda district, 50 kilometers from the district headquarters, the village had remained isolated from development for many years. The community, originally settled in the forests during the British era, was deprived of basic rights and facilities. For years, they lived in thatched houses and depended on firewood for their livelihoods, facing constant displacement.

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In 2018, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a development initiative by declaring these Vantangiya villages as revenue villages. As part of this effort, the community was granted houses, land ownership rights, access to drinking water, and employment opportunities through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. These initiatives provided the Vantangiya community with stability and legal rights for the first time, ensuring their integration into the broader social and economic fabric of the state.

Following his directives, District Magistrate Neha Sharma took significant steps to integrate the Vantangiya community into Gonda’s mainstream development. In this effort, Buthani Vantangiya village in Chhapia has been illuminated, marking the first time electricity has reached their homes. The long-standing era of darkness has ended, ushering in a new era of change. With the arrival of electricity, the villagers’ faces brightened as they saw the light of a bulb for the first time in the villa