The central government will invest 2 billion yuan (US$240 million) to help light up hundreds of rural townships with electricity this year.

An unnamed official at the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC) said the power infrastructure investment scheme would provide electricity to 362 underdeveloped townships.

The investment is part of a central government scheme launched last year.

It aims to provide all of the country's rural townships with electricity by the end of this year.

Residents in China's vast western regions have little access to electricity due to the inadequate transport system and their distance from the power network.

Official statistics showed that, last year, about 30 million people in 1,061 townships did not have access to electricity, mainly in remote areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The SDPC, with central government backing, had invested 2.6 billion yuan (US$313 million) in 699 townships by the end of last year.

It also supported the construction of 585 solar power stations and 114 small hydropower stations.

The official said the investment scheme only covers rural townships.

"Many people in villages still cannot benefit from the plan," said the official, who wished to remain anonymous.

He predicted that around 18,000 villages are still waiting for electricity.

(China Daily February 11, 2003)