LUANGENI Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Zulu has said the Government through the Rural Electrification Authority (REA)will start the electrification of some projects in his constituency and Chipata District beginning next month.

Government is looking for a credible contractor through the tender bid to electrify projects including chiefs' palaces in Luangeni Constituency at undisclosed amount of money.

The electrification of the chiefs' palaces together with other projects would be carried out next month once a successfully bidder is picked.

This came to light when Mr Zulu who is Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development paid a courtesy call on Chief Sairi of the Ngoni people at his Chimphinga palace in Chipata on Saturday.

Mr Zulu said 20 contractors had so far bid towards the electrification of some projects in the constituency.

He said projects such as Katandala Clinic, Chikando, Jerusalem, chiefs Sairi and Maguya palaces would be electrified under the same project.

The parliamentarian said the electrification of the projects and chiefs' palaces would spur a number of economic developments in the constituency.

"I am happy that the project which I have been fighting for like the electrification of chief Sairi's palace, Chief Maguya's palace, Chikando, Katandala Clinic would be electrified soon starting next month (August) including another clinic in Jerusalem," he said.

He was delighted that the electrification programme which he was aiming for in the first of his developmental projects had been achieved.

He said the electrification of Luangeni Constituency would see a number of people improving their livelihood as they would be able to install hammermills in various places as a result of the availability of power.

Mr Zulu advised the people to take advantage of the power to carry out various business and development projects.

He said the rehabilitation of road network such as Chimphinga-Kalunga and Jenda would be done using K300 million.

The two road networks were in a deplorable state and their rehabilitation would easy the movement of the road users such as motorists in the area.

He said the Government would also rehabilitate Mzebe, Feni, Msupazi I and 11 dams respectively.

"Let me mention to my royal highness that four dams are expected to be rehabilitated in this constituency and funds for that had already been made available to the Department of Water Affairs in Eastern Province," Mr Zulu said.

He said the Government had already released K600 million to enable the successful change of hand-pump boreholes into solar piped water.

He said the money would be shared equally for Mashanga Village and Feni sub-centre to undertake the projects without any problem.

"Government is changing hand pump boreholes into piped water. At the moment K600 million has been provided to Feni Sub-centre and Mashanga village in order for each to get K300 million for the project," he said.

Mr Zulu said he would work together with the Government, the local people in Luangeni Constituency including other partners to carry out development projects as part of uplifting peoples' living standards.

He appealed to companies dealing in cotton marketing to provide packaging bags before the cotton goes to waste or get burned from bush fires and urged cotton farmers to remain calm as Government was in the process of coming with a position on pricing.

And Chief Sairi said his subjects were facing various challenges such as lack of safe drinking water.

He, however, commended Mr Zulu for frequenting his constituency saying that was good as the MP was personally involved in projects.

The MP attended church services at different local churches, held meetings at villages including Zimema, Masiwa and Kalunga where he also donated various goods.