Village Electric Power Group Continues to Extort Local Residents in Mon State

June 30, 2014

Ka Loh Tort villagers are dissatisfied with current extortion and exploitation practices of their village electric power group. Villagers find themselves forced to endure extortion from the private electric power group, as government authorities have failed to provide Mon State with enough electricity for all of its residents for 2014.

Previously, residents of Ka Loh Tort Village, Mudon Township, Mon State, were charged 400,000 kyat per house for electric access, and 85,000 kyat for a meter box in order to receive electricity from the village private electric power supply group in 2012. This year, however, the village electric power group has increased their fees, charging residents 600,000 kyat for electric access, and 95,000 kyat for a meter box. Villagers will also be charged anywhere from 100,000-300,00 kyat for installation.

According to one village resident who has been victim to the electric power group’s extortion, it costs each household nearly 1 million kyat for access to electricity. Villagers have complained about this issue, but the electric group ignored complaints, and continued exploiting villagers.

The resident states that “first we relied on them (the village electric power group) because they represented [the] villagers. We hoped we could use electric power [at a] low price. But now, they are acting as authorities; they act against us. We see that it is unfair. We did not think [electricity] would cost us this much, so [now] we suspect them.”

In February of 2012, the Ministry of Electricity granted the request of local people from Ka Loh Tort, Kaw Pe’ Htaw, Phae Doe, and Taung Pa Villages to receive a private electric power supply. More than 50% of residents from these villagers are receiving electricity. This year, local residents extorted for access to electricity cannot afford such a high price.

“I wanted to have [a] power supply for my shop”, said a local Ka Loh Toh Villager, “but I could not afford it, as the price for a meter box and electric access is really high. I also discussed with [the] village electric power group about [the possibility] to use the [electric] wire from another house to my shop, but they said that if there is a fence between my shop and that house, they could not connect the wire. That is why I [am] not able to use the electricity.”

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News