UBON RATCHATHANI — Hardship and despair have driven villagers who have lived without electricity for a decade to turn to the spirits for help.
More than 20 families from Ban Kum, a village in tambon Huay Pai of Khong Chiam district, say they have aired their grievances to various state agencies numerous times but their complaints went unheard.
Utility poles for high-voltage electricity lines were installed in their village a decade ago, but the power never came on.
Buakan Intharat, 67, on Saturday led a group of villagers who carried flowers to worship spirits at the base of one of the poles.
He said local people had made numerous trips to agencies including the Huay Pai tambon administration organisation (TAO), the Khong Chiam district office and the district electricity office, but with no results.
They recently submitted a complaint to the provincial Damrongtham centre, but were told to follow proper procedures by passing their complaints to local bodies first, he said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on many occasions has urged people who have problems with officialdom to use the Damrongtham centres as their main channel for complaints, saying their pleas would be dealt with quickly.
Mr Buakan said he and his neighbours had been losing hope as villagers in nearby communities all had access to electricity.
Wichak Thitasarn, chairman of the Huay Pai TAO, said on Saturday that the organisation was trying to help the affected residents. He said he had recently drafted a three-year development plan from 2015-18 to expand public utilities in the community.