|DHAKA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank is providing 600 million U.S. dollars for Bangladesh's Rural Electricity Transmission and Distribution (T&D) project, said the Washington-based lender on Tuesday.
It said through the project, the government is addressing the network congestion and over-load at the rural level.
The project is helping the government to reduce system losses and improve the electricity distribution network in capital Dhaka, southeastern Chittagong, and northeastern Sylhet divisions, said the bank in a statement.
The project is progressing well according to a recent World Bank and government joint review. The Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, and the implementing agencies -- Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) are putting their concerted efforts for success of the project.
Access to grid electricity in rural areas is rapidly increasing with more than 300,000 new connections every month in Bangladesh, said the World Bank. However, it said rural households often suffer from power cuts due to electricity supply constraints, network congestion, and over-loading.
The project will help enhance the country's distribution network capacity and make the electrical lines ready for carrying additional electricity, it added.
