Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has directed the implementation of the project to connect the national grid to families in the northern province of Son La.

Photo for illustration

Accordingly, the Deputy Prime Minister has agreed to assign the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) to construct the power system while the Son La provincial People’s Committee has been requested to allocate capital and carry out site clearance for the construction, ensuring that by late 2015, the number of families in the province who have access to the national grid will be increased to 86% as set in the provincial Party Congress.

He has also asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to work with relevant agencies to report the results of the project to the Prime Minister; and instruct the Son La provincial People’s Committee to realise the project on giving power from the national grid to rural areas in the 2015-2020 period.

In 2009, the project to supply electricity from the national grid to people in Son La province was adopted for 30,157 families across 557 villages in 106 communes. With a total capital of VND557 billion, so far the project has supplied 22,617 families with 303 kilometres of mid-voltage line, 141 transformer stations and 531 kilometres of 0.4kV line having been built.

As the price of materials and workforce increases, the initial capital of VND557 billion now only reaches 80% of the intended work, leading to 7,540 remaining families, so far, losing out. Therefore, the project is expected to be lengthened until the second quarter of 2015.

When completed, the project will help to raise the number of families who have access to the national grid to 82%./.

( Compiled by VNF )