XN000022-1976-08-06 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1976

SIX SQUATTER VILLAGES DESIGNATED AS SPECIAL AREAS

TO HAVE LEGAL ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

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SIX SQUATTER VILLAGES ON THE SLOPES OF THE KOWLOON FOOTHILLS HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED AS SPECIAL AREAS TO RECEIVE LEGAL ELECTRICITY SUPPLY UNDER A NOTICE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE VILLAGES ARE LION ROCK UPPER, LION ROCK LOWER, YAN YEE, YAN OI, MA CHAI HANG AND TAI YUEN.

THE DESIGNATION OF THESE VILLAGES AS SPECIAL AREAS HAS BEEN MADE BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING UNDER THE POWERS CONFERRED BY THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY ORDINANCE.

THE ORDINANCE WAS AMENDED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO ALLOW FOR THE DESIGNATION OF SPECIAL AREAS WHERE THE SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO SPECIAL REGULATIONS. THESE REGULATIONS WERE PUBLISHED RECENTLY.

THE SIX VILLAGES ARE THOSE CHOSEN FOR A PILOT PROJECT TO PROVIDE A LEGAL SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY TO SQUATTER AREAS UNDER A SCHEME WORKED OUT BY A JOINT WORKING GROUP COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT AND CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY.

THE SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY TO THE VILLAGES IS BEING CARRIED OUT IN STAGES. UPPER LION ROCK VILLAGE STARTED RECEIVING ITS SUPPLY IN MID-JUNE AND WORK IS PROGRESSING ON THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR THE OTHERS.

SLIGHT INCREASE IN POPULATION ******

THE ESTIMATED POPULATION AT THE END OF JUNE 1976 WAS 4,382,500, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE FIGURE REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 2,637 PERSONS OVER THE END-YEAR 1975 ESTIMATE. THIS WAS MADE UP OF A +PLUS+ OF 23,110 THROUGH BALANCE OF BIRTHS OVER DEATHS AND A MINUS+ OF 20,473 THROUGH BALANCE OF MIGRATION.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BIRTHS FOR THIS FIRST HALF-YEAR WAS 35,028- THIS WAS 2,183 LESS THAN IN THE FIRST HALF-YEAR OF 1975.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS FOR THE SAME PERIOD WAS 11,918 COMPARED TO 10,821 IN THE PREVIOUS FIRST HALF-YEAR,

THE FIGURE OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS ARE BASED UPON EVENTS OCCURRING RATHER THAN UPON REGISTRATIONS MADE AND THEREFORE DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THOSE RELEASED BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL.

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