Despite the many erected light poles in Barry in St Catherine, residents say they have never had the experience of using power from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS).

"A from creation time nuh light deh here. You know how many people dead from the community and dem nuh get to know electricity," a resident told THE STAR.

The Barry main road is an alternative route to the Bog Walk gorge in the parish.

Interestingly, THE STAR understands that communities surrounding the Barry main road have electricity.

"The light surround us, but there is no light in Barry. This is a very important main road whenever there is flooding and yet still we are living in darkness. This is the reason why when people get older, dem leave di area," 69-year-old Marlene Fowler told our news team.

The residents in the area say that over the years, they have received many promises to the extent that they got their houses wired.

"Me dig out light pole over a year ago, hoping that mi would a get di light already, but all now. Wi nuh hear nothing from our Member of Parliament (MP), and nothing from JPS," another resident Michael Johnson said.

He continued, "My house was built from 1996, it's fully wired and there is still no light. We a cry out to our MP. In dis 21st century can you believe that to press our clothes people have to use tailor iron and buy ice on Sundays."

Nellie Francis-Richards, who residents claim has been lobbying on their behalf for several years, said that the community cannot move forward without electricity.

"The people here cannot move on without the light. Children cannot do there School Based Assessments (SBA). The community cannot do any form of activity because it would be hampered," Richards-Francis who has been liaising with the Rural Electrification Programme (REP) said.

Head of Corporate Communications for JPS, Winsome Callum, when contacted, told THE STAR that Barry is probably not the only community that is without electricity.

"It is not the sole responsibility of JPS to provide electricity. I am not in a position to say specifically why is it that Barry is without light. This falls under the REP."

Efforts to contact the MP for the area, Dr Kenneth Baugh, were futile, as calls to his phone went unanswered

Meanwhile, when contacted, the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, directed our queries to the REP.

Efforts made to get a response from the REP were also futile.