THE residents of Lethem and the interior locations continue to be without electricity and many productive assets are either not being used at all or are producing below capacity. We still have far too many government and private offices which are either idle or inefficiently utilised because of the long periods of blackouts causing vital revenues to fall.
The old electricity plant for the past few years has been producing electricity well below the capacity causing the business and residents to suffer. The electricity generation plant and pure water supply systems malfunction and operate inefficiently because of inadequate maintenance or failure to correct some

minor fault.
According to sources in Lethem, when the residents tried to get answers from the manager of the power plant as to the blackout, they are met with an arrogant response. While this scenario is still emerging it would appear that there is no solution. To solve the problems the residents have come around to a position, however reluctantly, that they should live with the situation. This does not mean that the government should not find creative ways of retiring to the notion of finding solutions to the Lethem power woes. Analysis of the situation must take us beyond the results of the dilapidated generation plant.

When the new government assumed office in 1992 within the orbit of the blackouts all over the country, our late leader/President Jagan had said that we would walk between the raindrops of conformism and transformation of the power sector. His commitment to principle and devotion to the Lethem people helped them to survive the frequent blackouts inherited from the previous administration and even prospered.
Without prudent management after his death, the electricity sector is now experiencing the evils of constant blackouts. If this situation continues, these policies inevitably would lead to worsening of the social and economic conditions of the people; that the growing dissatisfaction as there are rumours that the people will have to pay more for electricity. My  letter offered restrained and no praise to those who have caused this senseless situation; why can’t someone in authority use a loud speaker to inform the residents when there would be light and water so they can programme themselves to receive water for households and their children to bathe. Some of the residents are working from 7:00am to 6:00pm in the afternoon and when they get home there is neither water nor electricity, the blackout returned to paralyze the entire region very often.
The development of Lethem in particular, depends upon the availability of relatively cheap and abundant supply of energy. The Rupununi district and other interior locations have vast hydro–power potential. If the government could harness this potential, then the future of both Lethem and The Rupununi would be assured. The high and continually escalating price of oil is a serious problem. The government therefore, has to pay great attention to the possibility of using, as far as practicable, technology which would reduce the dependence on transportation and imported fossil fuels.
At this time, I empathise with those public servants, students, teachers, policemen, nurses and businessmen and women who are possibly intent on completing a hard day’s work, assignments now for tomorrow- assignments which may have required online research.