"There are 8,000 families without electricity in the Polonnaruwa district and all of them will be provided with electricity before January 12. As such, providing 100 percent electricity to the Kalutara district will not be a problem," he said.

Minister Siyambalapitiya made these assurances at a meeting at the Kalutara kachcheri on the theme "Lighting up the country; Eliminating darkness,".

Minister Siyambalapitiya said that due to abject poverty there were people who could not afford electricity even though transmission lines were in close proximity to their homes.

The children of these families had no electricity to do their studies or watch television, he said. A scheme was launched by the Ministry to help this particular segment of the population, whereby a loan of Rs. 40,000 could be obtained by each household on easy payment terms, for wiring and obtaining an electricity connection.

He said there would be no stiff conditions like collateral or membership involved in obtaining this loan.