Karrau’s residents to get enhanced electricity next year

A more reliable supply of electricity will see residents of Karrau in Region Seven, benefitting as government plans to procure a high-powered generator in 2023. This assurance was given by Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, to residents during a recent community meeting there.

Residents raised concerns about the struggle to purchase fuel to power their respective generators, at the consultation. It was noted that among other things, the villagers complained that the situation has affected their children’s studies.   Dharamlall stressed that government will soon intervene. “It is something that we [government] can look at in the budget for next year, and as long as the village is willing to pay for the use and maintenance of it, then I see no problem,” he assured those in attendance.

The minister disclosed that government has been assisting other hinterland and Amerindian communities in a similar manner. As such, this was made possible through a partnership between government and the community. “What I can tell you it is very expensive to run the electrical wire and so that is something that you will have to look at and your houses will also need to be wired,” Dharamlall said.

He added, “So, we have to be sure that there is a certain number of residents who want to be part of the system just to make it more economical for the village.” Meanwhile, Karrau’s Toshao, Shane Cornelius was reported as saying that after many years without electricity, the community was finally inspected by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) last year.

“We are pretty excited because this is a project, we had initially developed about eight or nine years back, and it is something that we still support because presently, a lot of expense residents go into because they have their own personal generator,” Toshao Cornelius said. The village leader added that it is time for the community to develop beyond its present state in keeping with the PPP/C Government’s manifesto promise to improve the lives of citizens.