Serbs in central Kosovo without electricity since yesterday morning

Serbian Press Agency SRNA, Bijeljina, 14-11-2006 10:24:59

PRISTINA, November 14 - The region of central Kosovo has been without electricity since 7:30 a.m. yesterday. Electrical power was switched off from the central distribution center in Pristina after we were classified as Group C, that is, non-paying consumers, the manager of the Serbian Power Company task team Ljubisa Bendic told Srna.

He said that approximately 15,000 Serbs in the region of the municipalities of Pristina, Kosovo Polje and Lipljan are without power and they do not know when it will be turned on again because power is not released unless there is an excess of electrical power, and at present no such excesses exist.

In addition to the regular power shutoffs by the Kosovo Electrical Corporation, the Serbian Power Company's task team has been forced to selectively cut power to some consumers in Serb villages near Gracanica because the distribution stations and low voltage network is in bad shape.

"We are forced to cut off lines because distribution stations are burning up as a result of increased consumption which follows the reactivation of electricity, which is sometimes shut off for up to two days," said Bendic.