Irregular electricity supply in Rih, sub-townships of Falam and Matupi Chin state, Myanmar has left civilians and government servants dissatisfied and unhappy.

Government servants in Rih town usually got electricity supply from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. last year. Now they are getting it once a week only and are paying Kyat 500 per month as bills, said a local in Rih town.

There are more than 100 of government servants in the Indo-Myanmar border town of Rih . Some officers and higher level government servants get electricity regularly through a special line while normal government servants can have electricity once in a week. They depend only on kerosene oil and candle, said a government servant in Rih town.

Similarly, in the southern part of Chin state Matupi Town also supply of electricity is irregular. They have cannot have during the time they prepare food in the morning and evening. They have power after breakfast at around 10 am and in evening from around 9 – 10, said a local in Matupi.

Though there are 11000 volts of HraLaung hydro-electricity, it is mainly used for army camps. All the blocks of Matupi cannot have electricity regularly except Lawngvan block! But the villagers pay electric bills of between Kyat 800 to 1000 per month. Subscribers are very angry about it, he added.

Actually, Lawngvan block is backed up by 200 Volts from the Namlawng hydro-electricity separately, but it cannot get electricity regularly same as other places and yet the government is collecting electric bills from it every month.

A local in Matupi said, "The electric department duties took Kyat 10,000 for providing electric connection, but after two or three days they had disconnected it and did not return the money. Even if officers notice such cases they never take any action."

It is learnt that the government had used civilians' energy and time in the construction of powerhouse, roads and buildings in order to get electricity in Matupi. But now the electricity is be supplied to only highly placed government servants and military camps.

In Chin state, Hakha, Falam, Tidim and other places civilians are paying electricity bills without getting electricity regularly. They have been warned by the government that electricity supply would be disconnected if they do not pay monthly bills.