KUCHING: The state government has received allocation for it to implement infrastructure projects listed under the National Key Results Area (NKRA).
And all the projects, which are to be carried out in a two-year span, are now proceeding smoothly, said Public Utilities Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
“Under the NKRA, we are given about RM1.7 billion for (clean and treated) water, another RM1.7 billion for RES (Rural Electrification Scheme) and about RM2 billion for rural roads.
“This has to be implemented before 2012. The progress is OK. Some are already completed, some are in progress while some are in the stage of implementation,” he told reporters at the Hari Raya open house at his residence here on Wednesday night.
Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management, pointed out that the projects would benefit at least 90 per cent of the population in terms of electricity and treated water supply.
Although geographical constraint remains as a great challenge for the state government to improve the living standard of rural folks, he stressed that the ruling party has been committed to ensure the smooth implementation of the projects.
“For RES, we expect to cover about 77,000 households, that is about over 90 per cent of the population. For water, our target is also to get about 90 over per cent of our population to have treated and clean water.
“You know, geographically, it is a big challenge for us. We can connect some areas to the reticulation system while some in the very remote areas are just not feasible at all. So we had to have an alternative system, likewise, the electricity supply,” he explained.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud told the media in Kuala Lumpur in March this year that by end of next year, RES would be increased from the current 66 per cent to 95 per cent while treated water from 57 per cent to 90 per cent.
He also said the state would see construction of 700km of roads by end of next year.