A ceremony was held in Yathedaung Township, Rakhine State, yesterday, to commemorate the opening of a 66- kVpower line that connets Ponnagyun to Yathedaung electrical substation.

        Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing delivered an opening speech.He said the substation was the first phase of a project to supply electricity to Yathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungtaw townships  by constructing a 64.5- mile power line for Ponnagyun- Yathedaung- Buthidaung- Maungtaw.

        The substation will make use of a 22.2-mile power line from Ponnagyun to Yathedaung, which is connected to the main 230-kV station in Ponnagyun.

          The Union Minister said the government would install a 66-kV switch bay at the main electrical station in Ponnagyun, and continue building substations in Buthidaung and Maungtaw. He said the aim was to complete these plans by December this year. The entire project, which aims to provide 24-hour electricity to the three townships, will cost an estimated Ks 30 billion.

          The Union Minister said that upon completion of the project, a steady  supply of electricity would  be made available to 26 of the 196 villages in Yathedaung,11 of the 339 villages in Buthidaung, and 15 of the 347 villages in Maungtaw. He said the remaining villages would be supplied electricity later.

          The Union Minister then concluded his speech with remarks on the opening of the substation, while a local resident expressed gratitude on behalf of the local public.

          Attendees at the ceremony were then shown a video clip detailing the works undertaken by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy in the last two years.

          Next, the Accor Hotels Group donated 400 solar lights to villages in Yathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungtaw, which will not be connected to a power line in the next five years.

          Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu accepted the donations and presented an honorary certificate to the representative from Accor Hotels Group.This was followed by Amyotha Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Aye Tha Aung, Chief Minister  U Nyi Pu, Rakhine State Hluttaw Speaker  U San Kyaw Hla, Rakhine State Minister for Electricity,Industry and Transport U Aung Kyaw Zan, Yathadaung constituency representative for Pyithu Hluttaw Daw Khin Saw was and Rakhine State Hluttaw representative from Yathedaung constituency U Oo Than Naing cutting the ribbon to formally open the electrical substation.The attendees then took a group photograph, and Union Minister U  Win Khaing  unveiled the memorial for the substation.

          Later, Deputy Speaker U Aye Tha Aung, Union Minister U Win Khaing and chief Minister U Nyi Pu pressed the button to start the substation”s process, there by providing electricity to the three townships.The attendants then toured the substation.