Department of Rural Development, Manaung Twsp villagers at odds over solar power scheme

13 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
13 February 2023, Manaung

The residents of more than 30 villages in Manaung Township, Arakan State, are growing impatient more than six months after they paid to have solar power-based systems supply electricity to their homes.

In July and August of last year, the township’s Department of Rural Development (DRD) collected money from the residents, claiming that the villages would be provided with electricity via a solar energy system, but they have not yet received the promised electricity.

“Locals from at least 30 villages contributed money to the township DRD. People often come and ask me why they still don’t have electricity,” said U Nyi Htwe, administrator of the Let Mel Pyin Village-tract. “What I heard is that the company that will install the electricity has not yet arrived.”

The Department of Rural Development charged K150,000 per house to install a 100W solar panel and K50,000 per house to install a 60W solar panel for residents of village-tracts such as Let Mel Pyin, Kazun and Zeetaw. But because electricity is still not available, the villagers are demanding their money back.

“So far, DRD has not responded as to why there is no electricity. It has been six months since DRD collected money from the villagers,” said a resident of Let Mel Pyin Village.

When DMG contacted U Maung Maung Khin, head of the township Department of Rural Development, for comment on the matter, he said the department is still planning to supply electricity to the villages.

“We understand that the villagers who have contributed money want electricity. But we also have a little delay at the ministerial level, so there are things that have been told to the villagers from a conceptual point of view. After the fiscal year 2023-2024, we will be able to provide electricity to those villages,” he added.

U Maung Maung Khin also said the village administrators have been informed about the status of the electrification effort, and were told that if those who have deposited money cannot wait, discussions will be held to return the money.

Now-deposed State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi personally attended the opening of a solar power plant on Manaung Island in December 2019, but when the plant proved unable to meet the township’s electricity needs, the Department of Rural Development offered the solar scheme currently rankling local residents.