Under the Rural Electrification Project 100% electricity coverage has been provided in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts while other districts are approximately 90% covered.

The Sri Lankan government aims make 100% electrification in the whole country in 2016 as electricity is a basic need to uplift the lives of people and to improve the education of rural children.

However, it has been revealed that 200,000 houses have not taken electricity connections although they have the access to electricity due to the inability of bearing the primary expenses required for obtaining electricity.

Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says that due to abject poverty there were people who could not afford electricity even though transmission lines were in close proximity to their homes.

A program under the theme "Lighting up the country; Eliminating darkness" ("Ratama Eliyai Andura Duralai") has been initiated under the directions of the Minister to provide electricity to low income earners in order to reach the target of providing electricity to every household in the country within three months.

Under a scheme launched by the Ministry to help this particular segment of the population, each household can obtain a loan of Rs. 40,000 on easy payment terms, for wiring and obtaining an electricity connection. There would be no stiff conditions like collateral or membership involved in obtaining this loan, according to the Minister.

The proposal put forward by the Minister to grant loan facilities for those householders subject to a maximum limit of Rs. 40,000 and to obtain required funds in this purpose form the Samurdhi Development Bank, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.