Kolkata: The World Bank has approved a $135-million loan to improve efficiency and reliability of power supply in selected areas of Bengal.
The state is located along the corridor to the Northeast and Southeast Asia, and plays an important role in facilitating and promoting regional power trade, as it is already doing with Bangladesh, a World Bank official said.
Economic growth in Bengal has resulted in a growing demand for electricity at the rate of 4.5% in the past five years. The number of consumers served by WBSEDCL has more than doubled in the past six years to almost 20 million. However, this growth has also strained the finances of distribution companies.
