Rural Electrification Board (REB) has taken a mega project of Tk 54.13 billion to bring 1.8 million more rural people under electricity coverage by 2015 under a rural electrification expansion project at an estimated cost of Tk 54.13 billion.
REB will implement the mega project in a bid to reach out electricity to the maximum of the population, sources said.
The huge expansion plan comes as part of the government’s roadmap to extend electricity services to all villages by 2021 to improve rural livelihood, they said.
A mid-term policy of the government in line with its sixth five-year plan intends to expand the rural power distribution network to 301,646 km in four years.
Now 49 percent people have access to electricity.
Currently, REB has 1.84 crore consumers with a network of 220,930 km distribution lines, according to he board officials.
With the four-year project will be implemented in 453 upazilas in between 2012 and 2015 through the existing 70Palli Bidyut Samities of REB.
Under the project, 45,000km new distribution line, 2,000km of 33KV new line and 100 33/11KV new substations (970MVA) will be set up. Also, the 500km existing 33KV line will be rehabilitated and the present capacity of 50 33/11KV sub-stations will beraised, official documents reveal.
The new plan requires 765MW more power to connect those targeted people.
However, this priority project isnot brought under the Annual Development Programme.
After the project got approval from Planning Minister AK Khandker on October 27 last year, the estimated project cost was finalised at the Planning Commission on November 16 in the same year.
Source: Energy bangla.com
