Power boom in the North

Sandasen Marasinghe

* Supply increased seven fold in certain areas

* Free connections to resettled families

Electricity provision to certain districts in the Northern Province has been increased seven fold within the last 18 months in the government’s bid to make electricity provision 100 percent by the end of 2012.

A Power and Energy Ministry spokesman said that only three percent of the Mullaitivu district was provided electricity by May 2010 when the ministry was taken up by Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

He added that the electricity provision was increased to 23 percent by January this year at a cost of Rs 65 million.

He said the Power and Energy Minister visited the North and East during the last few days to expedite the electricity provision to the districts in those provinces which were affected by terrorist activities depriving the people of enjoying electricity provided by the government.

The spokesman said the minister commissioned several power projects during his visit. He added that with the commissioning of four projects on Sunday, 620 families in the Vavuniya district received electricity increasing the power supply in the district to 75 percent which was 65 percent in May 2010.

“The ministry had spent Rs 405 million during this period to provide them electricity,” he said.

Four electricity extension projects in Napamkulama, Kalmadu, Eeshwaripuram and Nayankulam that were completed at a cost of Rs 50.8 million were commissioned in the Vavuniya district.

The minister also commissioned several electricity projects in the Mannar district on the same day, increasing electricity provision to 67 percent which was 56 percent in May 2010. The government spent Rs 34 million during this period to provide electricity to the Mannar district. The minister also decided to provide an Electrical Engineer’s Office to Mannar district after discussions with senior officials in the district.

The spokesman said that the 11 percent electricity provision in the Kilinochchi district was increased to 27 percent at a cost of Rs 170 million. Electricity provision in Jaffna was increased from 69 percent to 79 percent while the government spent Rs 71 million for electricity projects during this period, he said.

The Power and Energy Ministry has also decided to provide electricity connections free of charge to those who came back to resettle in those districts after fleeing from the area due to terrorist activities. “The applicant should have the approval of the Government Agent and the Divisional Secretary to obtain electricity free of charge,” the spokesman said.

According to the ministry sources around 4,000 applications from the North Province have been forwarded to obtain electricity supply.

The minister also visited the Sri Swarna Bimbarama temple in Shanthapuram during his visit to the North.