Plea to Minister: Let there be electricity need of villagers
M. A. R. Manukulasooriya, Hiriyala group corr.
Eighty families living in Galapalleyaya village in the Ibbagamuwa DS
division in a memorandum to Salinda Dissanayake, Kurunegala district MP
and Minister of Coconut Development has requested him to take action to
provide them with electricity under the
Keppetiya-Yakadagolla-Galapalleyaya rural electrification scheme which
was opened on April 24, 2007.
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S. W. P. Chandralatha
Pictures from M. A. R. Manukulasooriya, Hiriyala group
correspondent |
Although electric wires can be seen everywhere in the village,
electricity has not been supplied to the houses so far. The Daily News
understands that the main cause of the delay in supplying electricity is
a tug-of-war between two parties over the place where the electric
transformer is to be erected.
Electricity has already been supplied to Keppetiya and Yakadagolla
villages under this scheme. The villagers have allowed the Ceylon
Electricity Board to cut down valuable trees in their lands without
claiming any compensation with the hope of getting electricity.
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The transformer in question. |
"Wiring has already been done in our houses. Some of us had to obtain
loans to spend for the wiring. Some had to pawn their jewellery. I had
to sell my milch cows," said S. W. P. Chandralatha, a mother of three
children.
Although they do everything with the light of bottle lamps, they have
to pay a sum of Rs. 60 every month to the Electricity Board as meter
charges. They request the Coconut Development Minister to take action to
settle the dispute over the transfer and make arrangements to provide
them with electricity as early as possible. |
