KUCHING: The shortage in electricity supply for rural schools in the northern and central divisions of the state has been resolved, the Education Ministry said today.
In a statement, the ministry said that until Dec 31, 2016, schools located in the interior parts of the state had been relying on diesel-driven generator sets for electricity power.
Frequent electricity shortages arose due to the failure of contractors to regularly supply diesel for the generators.
But the two-year agreement with the 30 errant contractors to supply electricity to interior schools ended on the last day of 2016.
“New contractors (were) appointed since Jan 1, and checks by the ministry (showed that) schools’ electricity supply has been restored,” said the statement.
The ministry, however, did not elaborate on the number of new contractors appointed and the duration of the contracts.
The ministry was responding to a report by a local daily, which claimed that 369 rural schools were affected by electricity shortages due to a lack of supply of diesel.
The report claimed the schools are located in the Kapit and Miri divisions.