Gadchiroli: After spending days tolerating the scorching heat when temperatures touch 44 degrees Celsius, 90-year-old Gopala Madavi finds relief only at night from the breeze, when he sleeps outside his house. For almost five months, his house has had no electricity, as the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has cut the power supply. This seems to be the case with most houses in Gattepayali village.

While many houses have at least two bulbs, people have not installed fans, fearing a rise in electricity bills. But it seems the fear was justified, as most of them have been getting inflated bills varying from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. Many villagers, who are unemployed, have been forced to stay in the dark. Most of them are poor farmers who cultivate paddy for self-consumption.