Minister reviews electricity issues in NCP

Dhanushka RAMANAYAKE

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka visited Polonnaruwa to discuss the electricity problems of the people and also held discussions with CEB employees on June 11. It is after a lapse of 22 years that a Power and Energy Minister visited the area on an official tour.

During this visit, a mobile service was held at the Hingurakgoda Ananda Balika Maha Vidyalaya from 9.30 am to 5 pm for the benefit of the electricity consumers of Minneriya, Hingurakgoda, Madirigiriya and Manampitiya areas. This mobile service was successfully conducted under the guidance of the CEB Deputy General Manager of the North Central Province Gratian Muthukudaarachchi by the Minneriya Area Electrical Engineer Hemali Amaradiwakara, chief construction engineer Shirley Kumara, commercial engineer Samanthi Sudharshani and the entire CEB staff.

Issues attended to

Issues pertaining to bills, breakdowns and electricity meters were attended to, and new electricity connections were provided. Minister Ranawaka handed over documents of new electricity connections to consumers. Land Development Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath, Social Services Deputy Minister Chandrasiri Sooriyaarachchi and about 600 villagers attended this mobile service.

Concurrent to this service, a special discussion on the problems faced by the people and ways of maintaining an efficient electricity service in the Polonnaruwa district, was held with the politicians of the area including Deputy Ministers Gamlath and Sooriyaarachchi, North Central Province Power and Energy Minister Nandasena Ratnayake and North Central Province Minister Peshala Jayaratne, along with several Provincial Councillors and consumer representatives. Issues related to the power supply in the area and future plans for new electricity projects in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthana Future Vision on Electricity for All by 2012 were also reviewed.

Meanwhile, the Manampitiya E City office built to cater to the electricity needs of the people of the Minneriya area was opened by Minister Ranawaka. The minister also engaged in cordial discussions with nearly 170 employees of the Minneriya area electrical engineer's office. An employee with nearly 30 years of service said that this is the first time in his service that he had witnessed the visit of a minister to their office. He gifted the minister a historical artefact on behalf of the entire staff as a token of appreciation. The next stop in the minister's tour was a visit to a rice mill of a prominent businessman of the area who has succeeded in supplying his own power requirements using refuse from his rice mill. He is an elected public representative from the Pulathisi electorate. The Nipuna Rice Mill Power station produces two MW of power needed for the factory utilizing the refuse from the rice mill Dahaiya, making optimum use of modern technology.

Three electrification schemes

Three electrification schemes, initiated with the aim of improving the 80 percent coverage of the Polonnaruwa district, were inaugurated by Minister Ranawaka. These projects namely Nikapitiya, Nikapitiya Gembagala and Alahara Wekanda have incurred an expense of Rs 14 million to provide electricity to 301 families in this area. Although it was a tremendously tiring day, it was enough motivation for us to continue on our journey seeing the smiling faces of the residents of the area as their houses were lit up.

This year, seven electrification projects costing Rs 37.6 million were inaugurated in the Polonnaruwa district which now benefits 551 families. The minister stated that the government has already allocated funds to support the electrification projects in the Polonnaruwa district with the aim of fulfilling the goal of 100 percent electrification coverage in the district.

Mobile service

Another mobile service was held at the Nochchiyagama Bandaranayake primary school in the Anuradhapura district on June 19 under the patronage of Minister Ranawaka. Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Water Management W B Ekanayake also participated in this event. During the service, the Anuradhapura area electrical engineer Buddhika Prasad and the staff of the Consumer Services division successfully provided solutions to the problems of nearly 500 consumers. In addition, the minister visited the Nochchiyagama Consumer Services Centre and engaged in cordial discussions with the staff there.

An E City office was inaugurated adjacent to the Electrical Engineers Office with the aim of providing an efficient and friendly service to the consumer. Furthermore, a special office was officially opened by the minister to complete the Electrification Transmission Network before the end of 2012. The project named Widulamu Lanka with an investment of Rs 8,000 million will cover the entire North Central area with the establishment of 550 transformers. Chief engineer Shirly Perera will function as the project manager. Addressing the contractors and CEB officials, Minister Ranawaka stated that they should complete at least Rs 300 million worth work on the electrification project per month. The minister stressed that the need of the hour is to have dedicated and committed staff working round the clock with the purpose of completing the work within the stipulated time for the prosperity of the country. He added that the CEB family had it in them to become proud government servants who have completed their duties 100 percent.

Minister Ranawaka launched the Halmillawewa electrification project transformer in Alapaththuwa Ahatuwewa on this day. This is an investment of Rs 7.8 million that benefits 75 families. Tension cables with a height of 1.9 meters and 3 kms of low tension cables are also included in this project. The North Central Province General Manager said that he would ensure that electricity is provided for residents of this area by July 25. The dedicated service rendered by the CEB workforce to complete this project should be highly appreciated as they carry out their tasks amidst threats of even wild elephant attacks.

Another four projects were handed over to the public on June 13. Early that morning electricity was provided to the residents of Galkandegama benefiting 63 families. Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena participated in this event. In addition, the Kalathirappane electrification project was bestowed on the public by Minister Ranawaka. Youth Affairs and Skills Development Deputy Minister Duminda Dissanayake also participated on the occasion. The project benefits 45 families in the area.

Another electrification scheme was inaugurated by Minister of Power and Energy that benefits 132 families in Payagala Kalugala Yaya 1 while another at Udakorasagalla was also bestowed on the public by the minister providing electricity to 61 families in the area. Provincial Councillors Weerasena Gamage and Duminda Dissanayake participated in this event. Addressing the gathering, Minister Ranawaka said that these electrification projects were inaugurated not only for the villagers to watch tele-dramas, matches and reality programmes, but for the future of the children of the area as well as for small-scale and medium-scale business community to develop their operations.

Projects in Anuradhapura

The Ministry of Power and Energy stated that 26 electrification projects have been completed in the Anuradhapura district at a cost of Rs 185.9 million benefiting 1,560 families so far this year. This includes the projects inaugurated on June 12 and 13.

Prior to the Poya day, Deputy Minister Duminda Dissanayake escorted the Minister of Power and Energy to the Allawewa Kahatagasdigiliya Veragala Siri Sangabo Raja Maha Viharaya, providing the minister with a rare opportunity to witness valuable artefacts obtained through excavations conducted at the temple. Subsequent to the temple visit, the minister visited the North Central Province CEB General Manager's office and held cordial discussions with the workers there. Addressing them, the minister said that the CEB has evolved from being an organization plagued with debt to one that is showing great promise having begun to make profits without being indebted to any institution. He added that they should think of the consumer as their friend.

The minister held discussions with senior officials of the power sector together with the politicians of the area with the aim of improving the 81 percent coverage in the Anuradhapura district to 100 percent. Chief Minister of the North Central Province Berty Premalal Dissanayake, Youth Affairs and Skills Development Deputy Minister Duminda Dissanayake, Women and Child Development Minister Tissa Karaliyadda, Irrigation and Water Resource Minister W B Ekanayake, Provincial MP Samarasinghe and several others participated in this event.

The minister discussed the progress on Widulamu Lanka on providing electricity to all and appreciated the dedication of the workforce involved in these projects.

Ending the four-day tour Minister Ranawaka participated at the illumination ceremony of Ruwanveliseya together with the Prime Minister and opened the Aloka Poojawa on June 14 in Mihinthalaya.