Residents complain of lack of electricity Mon 24 Dec 2007,IMNA
Residents have complained of an acute lack of electricity and they are being supplied power on rotation for just one day a week. Consumers therefore are unable to cook and iron.
According to a housewife from Kyat Khine Ye quarter in Thanphyuzayart Township, even when they get electricity it is not useful to them because every household uses inverters for electricity.
"Most houses have bought inventers for electricity. Sometimes when electricity is available supply is so low they can't use it properly," a Mudon resident said.
The housewife from Thanphyuzayart said they can't cook rice and iron when power comes during day time. So they do the work at night because the supply is better than other times.
The residents get power almost two days a week in rotation in each quarter in the town. But mostly they get electricity during the nights. But it is not for a full 48 hours.
Even people who get electricity regularly do not obtain enough power, but most villages in Mon State are trying to get power by spending their own funds. Karoat-pi (Kayokpi) village in Thanphyuzayart has spent about 100 million Kyats to extend electric poles and have more transformers.
One household had to pay 0.7 million Kyat including 0.3 million Kyat for electric meter boxes and 0.4 million Kyat for electric poles and other costs.
Some people said that they can spend that amount if they get electricity regularly. But some did not join in because they don't have faith in the government's electric power supply.
Moreover the government had also raised the cost of electricity about 10-fold in 2006 and now it costs about 50 Kyat per unit since August 2007. The township electric authorities also take 500 Kyat per month as maintenance costs for an electric box.
The Burmese junta saves costs by operating on natural gas to halve expenses on generators for power stations in Moulmein (Mawlamyine) and Thaton Township.
