The government will provide new electricity connections to 1.21 crore people within this year by setting up 3.23 lakh kilometres of transmission line and 650 sub-stations, the state minister for power said today.

Responding to a starred question in the parliament, Nasrul Hamid Bipu said the government has already set up 2.70 lakh kilometres of transmission line and 639 sub-stations through which 1.07 crore people can be brought under electrification.

By December 2018, the government will be able to set up 3.55 lakh transmission lines and 800 sub-stations to provide connections to 1.33 crore more people, he added.

The government will set up 3.90 lakh transmission lines and 1086 sub-stations by December 2021 to provide connections to 1.56 crore consumers, he said.

The state minister also informed the House that the government is going to set up gas connections for the people of Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Jessore, Khulna and Bagerhat.

He said the Sundarbans Gas Company Limited (SGCL) has been formed to bring 21 districts – 10 in Khulna division, six in Barisal and five in Dhaka – under gas facilities.

Initiative has been taken so far for setting up connections to five districts in Khulna.

Purchase of about 90 percent foreign logistics and equipment of the project have already been done, he said.

Nasrul Hamid said the deadline for the project [gas connection to the five districts] has been extended to September 2017 as it will not be possible to complete it by the previous deadline of September 2015.