Saturday, 25 April 2009

Campaign to Identify Those Who Illegally Connect to State Electricity Lines - Friday, 24.4.2009

Posted on 25 April 2009

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 609

“Because of frequent electricity cuts at public places such as at parks, traffic lights, and road lights, and the shortage of expert electricity maintenance staff, and the lack of different materials, the administration of the municipality, that is the Phnom Penh municipal governor, summoned, in the morning of 23 April 2009, relevant officials from all lower levels for a meeting about the electricity for public lighting, in order to identify and assign clear responsibilities.

“There is suspicion about some bad officials who illegally connect to state electricity, like to connect to electricity to use it for advertisement banners and for different other uses. When officials pointed their fingers at each other regarding this issues, the Phnom Penh municipal governor, Mr. Kep Chuktema, ordered to create a working team to go around to check the electricity systems, in order to identify wicked people - he gave one week for this campaign.

“Mr. Kep Chuktema said, ‘For Phnom Penh, electricity is really important, especially for security and for orderly traffic. Therefore, we have to strengthen electricity security, taking this with high responsibility. Even though we are a state institution, the Phnom Penh Municipality has to pay every month for the daily consumption of electricity, and if we fail to do so, the electricity will be cut off, like it is done also for all citizens – per year, the municipality has to pay more than US$1 million.’ Mr. Kep Chuktema added that if electricity is used in the right way, there is no problem. But he suspects that some bad people illegally connect to state electricity, tapping into the public lighting system, such as to connect to advertisement banners, or night vendors, who sell mixed juice or other things, and connect to electricity sources for which the Phnom Penh Municipality has to pay (instead of them), and the municipality did not know anything about it for many years.

“The director of the Department of Public Work and Transportation, Mr. Nhem Saran, reported, said that public lighting, managed by the Phnom Penh Municipality, such as lighting at different parks and roads and traffic lights, is at 32 parks, at 779 lighting poles set up, 4,844 lighting poles along roads, and 43 traffic lights. There is no problem with the electricity at different parks, since the electricity is cut off when electricity systems encounter disturbances. Also, it is because some bulbs are burnt out, and because of the negligence of some electricians. As for the lighting systems along the roads, some lamps have been damaged, hit by cars or trucks, which makes it difficult for the administration to have them repaired immediately.

“An expert official on electricity, from the Department of Public Work and Transportation, in charge of such work, raised many reasons to the Phnom Penh municipal governor as well as to the whole meeting, saying that at present there is a lack of control of electricity, the working team has only 40 officials and lacks means for monitoring - as they have to use their own means and tools for fixing problems. Moreover, the unit lacks expert electricians and tools used to identify the location of underground cables when they are cut, and sometimes they have to dig up the land for more than 60 meters to find which section is cut. The traffic light system is difficult to control technically, because there are six different types and six different control programs. This official requested the Phnom municipal governor for more electricians, more means, and more tools, and especially to immediate supply tools and spare parts.

“Regarding the strengthening of public lighting, Mr. Kep Chuktema ordered to recruit ten additional qualified electricians for this work for all districts under the control of the Ministry of Public Work and Transportation. The Phnom Penh Municipality will offer materials such as cars for the electricians, computers, and spare parts immediately, by allowing them to be taken from commercial suppliers, and the Phnom Penh Municipality will pay for it.

“At the same occasion, Mr. Kep Chuktema instructed expert officials to pay attention to monitor and observe the lighting systems regularly at the main roads into the city, at important boulevards, and at important places like at the buildings of the top institutions of the government, to make sure that the supply of electricity is not cut.”

Koh Santepheap, Vol.42, #6632, 24.4.2009
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Friday, 24 April 2009

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