State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) has cut off power to Sultan Park and many other buildings managed by the Malé City Council.
STELCO Managing Director Ahmed Shareef said the power cuts were caused by non-payment of electricity bills. He said that the city council owed MVR 20 million in unpaid electricity bills from the previous two years.
The Sultan Park area was reopened in 2017 as "Rasrani Bageecha", with amenities including a water fountain, a fish pond and children's sports areas. Sultan Park is managed by the Malé City Council.
The power cut was caused by the lack of cooperation by the city council in paying the bills, Shareef said. However, he said that electricity has not been cut off from places used by the public under the council's management. These include mosques, roads, fish markets, and cemeteries, he said.
Shareef said some buildings managed by the city council have "MVR 200,000 to 500,000" worth of unpaid bills.
"In some cases [the city council] is treating us harshly. Based on that, we have decided to cut off the electricity supply to all places which does not affect the public," he said.
STELCO said power was cut off from Sultan Park, the City Council's labor quarter in Villimalé and part of Amin Avenue Maple.
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