90% village under power supply: Minister

Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB) has already brought 90 per cent villages under power coverage, state news agency BSS reports quoting state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid as saying.

 “Activities for bringing the rest of 10 per cent villages under electrify access have been underway,” the minister said while replying to a question from treasury bench member Muhibur Rahman Manik in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday.

He said the government is expected to ensure 100 per cent electrification to all villages by December 2018.

Replying to another question from reserved seat member Safura Begum, Nasrul told the parliament that the government has undertaken various projects in

different terms aimed at implementing “Sheikh Hasina’s initiatives supply power to every house” by 2021.

“The power generation capacity has already reached to 18,353 MW and the government has fixed its target to increase electricity generation capacity to 24,000 MW by 2021,”

He said the government has also undertaken different projects to improve capacity of distribution and transmission line compared to power generation.

Presently, distribution line increased to 450,000 kilometre, transmission 11,060 circuit kilometre and capacity of the grid substation reached to 35,040 MVA, according to the minister.

“We have a plan to increase capacity of distribution and transmission line into twice as part of the 100 per cent electrification by 2021,” he added.