by Bethanie Harriman – EM TV News, Lae
A district authority in the Jiwaka Province has been supplying roofing iron and a portable sawmill for every family to start building homes.
The houses are being built amidst a rural electrification project to supply all the ward councils within the district.
Defence Minister and North Wahgi MP, Dr. Fabian Pok, says the project will be done using District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) funds that belong to the people.
The district authority has also provided roofing iron.
“When the people are happy, I am happy, but without the funding this (sic) things aren’t possible,” says Dr. Pok.
In the next six months much of the houses in the north-Wahgi district will be built using timber cut from the supplied walkabout sawmills.
Thousands of people turned up to witness the launching of the Operation Rausim Kunai at Jiwaka’s Banz town on Saturday.
The district authority and the national government will be also funding a hydro power plant and a rural electrification program.
Nondugul including all other remote parts of the districts will be getting electricity.
Road National News will also be improved; the nondugul and kimil roads previously difficult to access have been opened.
“For many generations we didn’t see this sort of development happening at this rate, we are thankful,” says bus driver, John Timothy, who was travelling on a bus on the Nondugul road.
There is a K15 million road construction in progress to link up Jiwaka to Madang’s Ramu area.
