Over 70 rural power projects under way

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The Ministry of Power and Energy would be investing Rs 339 million for 76 rural electrification projects in Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mannar, and Jaffna.

Minister of Power and Energy, Champika Ranawaka said most of the projects are already being implemented and all 76 projects would be completed by the end of next year.

"Most of the residents in the North-East did not have electricity as the government could not go ahead with development work due to the 30 year old conflict. With permanent peace we can now provide electrification for these areas," he said.

The biggest project costing Rs. 145 million is to be implemented in Vavuniya and the Ministry is planning to have 25 rural electrification programs for the area. In addition 12 projects would be implemented in the Kilinochchi district.

Meanwhile the Ministry has intensified its programs to nab people who are illegally tapping electricity and have apprehended 1,173 suspects in August.

The revenue generated from this has been Rs. 23 million.

The Minister said that illicit tapping of electricity is one of the major causes of the CEB running at a loss and they want to put an end to this.

"This is why we have deployed special teams to intensify operations against culprits," he said.

He requests the public to inform the CEB through telephone No. 1987 of any such incidents taking place in the country.

He said that the second major financial burden for the CEB is the generation of power from diesel.

The Minister said that there were no power plants constructed from 1996 to 2004 and the country had no alternative other than to depend on diesel energy generation and due to this the CEB loses around Rs. 6 million daily," he said."With the building of power plants in Kotmale, Norochcholai and Kerawalapitiya and modifications to Sapugaskanda the overheads of the CEB would be reduced," he said.