XN000022-1978-05-02 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1978

VILLAGE LIGHTING SCHEME FOR NEW TERRITORIES

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AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE STREET LIGHTING TO VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES GAINED IMPETUS TODAY WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME IN MUI WO, LANTAU ISLAND.

THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, ALONG WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, MR. CHAN YAT-SAN, AND VICE-CHAIRMEN, MR. CHEUNG YAN-LUNG AND MR. TSANG LIN, OFFICIATED AT THE SWITCH-ON CEREMONY AT TAI TEI TONG VILLAGE THIS EVENING.

THE $76,000 SCHEME, THE FIRST OF THE SEVEN LIGHTING PROJECTS FOR VARIOUS NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGES. WAS COMPLETED LAST MARCH TO SERVE THE TWIN VILLAGES OF TAI TEI TONG AND LUK TE! TONG ON THE ISLAND. IT INVOLVED THE INSTALLATION OF 23 STREET LIGHTS 13 FOR TAI TEI TONG AND 10 FOR THE NEIGHBOURING LUK TEI TONG VILLAGE.

ADDRESSING THE GATHERING, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE SCHEME WAS ANOTHER INDICATION OF THE RESULTS THAT COULD BE EXPECTED FROM THE EXISTING CLOSE LIAISON BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE GOVERNMENT.

+IN THE CONTEXT OF OVERALL DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS OF COURSE ONLY A SMALL ITEM,+ HE SAID.

+

+BUT FOR THE PEOPLE CONCERNED I AM SURE THAT THIS WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT IN MANY WAYS, PARTICULARLY PERHAPS IN ALLOWING VILLAGERS AND CHILDREN TO MEET AND PLAY OUTSIDE DURING THE EVENING TIME.+

THE MUI WO SCHEME, WHICH FORMS PART OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE ISLAND, WAS FINANCED BY LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS FUND ALLOCATED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

MR. AKERS-JONES ALSO PRAISED THE STAFF OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND ASSISTANCE RENDERED TO THE PROJECT.

HE SAID: +IT IS ONLY WITH THEIR HELP THAT THESE EARLY SCHEMES HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE. AND THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR PRESENT EFFORTS INTO FORMALISING A VILLAGE LIGHTING PROGRAMME.+

AT TODAY'S CEREMONY, WHICH WAS PRECEDED BY A LION DANCE ORGANISED BY THE LOCAL RURAL COMMITTEE, THE STREET LIGHTS FOR THE TWO LANTAU VILLAGES WERE OFFICIALLY SWITCHED ON BY MR. CHAN YAT-SAN.

MR. AKERS-JONES, THE OFFICIAL PARTY AND RURAL COMMITTEE LEADERS LATER WENT ON A TOUR OF THE ILLUMINATED AREA.

/THE VILLAGE

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