A senior politician in the Badulla district is reportedly pressuring the government to halt a nearly completed Rs. 120 million electrification project aimed at providing electricity to two of the last three villages in the Uva province. These villages, situated on the border of the Badulla and Monaragala districts, have long been without basic electrical infrastructure.
The project, approved in 2023, began construction in 2024 under the supervision of the Electricity Board. Designed to connect remote villages like Aluthwela to the main power grid, the initiative has reached 90% completion, with significant funds already spent. However, political interference is allegedly threatening to derail the project just as electricity lines are being connected to the grid.
Aluthwela, located just 5 km from the Uma Oya Power Plant, has waited 14 years for electrification, with repeated promises from successive governments. The village has faced chronic infrastructural neglect despite sustained appeals for development. The project, now at an advanced stage, includes three-phase electricity for approximately 180 households and has already incurred costs exceeding Rs. 95 million.
Villagers credit former Presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe, along with the Electricity Board, for their efforts in resolving long-standing issues and initiating this electrification program. Many now view the move to halt the project as a betrayal, especially given the considerable progress and financial investment.
Local residents have voiced their frustration, labeling the decision to suspend the project as unjust and detrimental to their community. “Stopping a project that is 90% complete and has consumed significant resources is a crime,” said one villager, citing decades of neglect and broken promises.
The alleged interference is being linked to ongoing controversies surrounding the Uma Oya project, which has sparked protests and opposition in the region. However, the villagers argue that such disputes should not impact essential infrastructure development that directly improves their quality of life.
Calls are growing for the government to resist political pressure and complete the electrification project, ensuring that long-overdue development reaches these remote villages.
