ELECTRICITY AND WATER SUPPLY TO RURAL AREAS ACROSS PRIVATE LANDS

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will ascertain from the Public Utilities Board whether difficulties have been encountered in getting landowners' permission for the running of overhead cables and water-mains across their lands in order that rural folks can enjoy electricity and water supply; how many land-owners have objected and refused to co-operate; whether steps are being taken to ensure that such schemes will be successfully carried out; and whether he proposes to introduce legislation to amend the Public Utilities Ordinance to enable the Board to successfully carry out its tasks without encountering similar difficulties.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Utilities Board has encountered some difficulties in obtaining permission from land-owners to lay cables or run overhead lines across their lands in connection with the schemes to provide utility supplies in the rural areas. But such difficulties have not been found to be insurmountable.

There have been three cases so far in respect of electricity supplies where persuasion by the Public Utilities Board, the Urban and Rural Services Committee and the Citizens' Consultative Committee have failed to induce landowners to grant permission, and the Public Utilities Board has had to invoke its powers under the relevant sections of the Public Utilities Ordinance. 1963. In all the three cases, work has been completed.

No cases have arisen so far in connection with water supplies. It is, therefore, unnecessary to amend the Ordinance to enhance the powers of the Board.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Will the Minister enlighten the House further by elaborating on the three cases he has mentioned just now?

Mr Barker: Sir, the first case was in 1967 in Changi, where a scheme to get electricity supply to a kampong at Siak Kuan Road, off the 9th milestone, Changi Road, was approved under stage 6 of the rural electrification programme. However, as a result of the landowner's objection, section 15 (2) (a) of the Public Utilities Ordinance, 1963, had to be invoked before the scheme was implemented.

The second case was when a landowner at Jalan Payoh Lai objected to overhead mains being strung within his property. A notice under the same section of the Ordinance was subsequently issued and work was completed in December last year.

In the third case, a land-owner of a coconut plantation, off Holy Innocents Lane in Punggol, refused to give permission for the installation of overhead lines but agreed to the laying of under-ground cables. The matter was reported to the Urban and Rural Services Committee and the Citizens' Consultative Committee, Punggol, to use their good offices to secure the necessary way-leave but without any success. A notice was therefore issued under the relevant section and work has now been completed.