All Tibetan farmers, herders to have safe water and phone service by 2010

LHASA, Jan.17, 2009 (Xinhua) -- The regional government of China's Tibet
Autonomous Region will spend 8 billion yuan (about 1.18 billion U.S. dollars)
to finance infrastructure projects in rural areas in 2009 and 2010.

Puqung, a Tibetan official who serves as a deputy with the regional commission
of development and reform, made the announcement Wednesday while
addressing members of the regional committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The money will be used to provide safe drinking water to all of the region's 1.07
million farmers and herders. Currently, 850,000 have access to safe water.

Telephone service is only available now in 3,421 villages, accounting for 58
percent of the total. The money will also be used to expand phone service to
every village in the next two years.

As for energy, Puqung said marsh gas is being used in 150,000 homes. By
2010, it will be in 200,000 homes.

The rest of the billion yuan will go towards improving postal service and
highway construction. Roads now connect 59 percent of villages across the
region.

Tibet has a population of 2.88 million, of whom, 85 percent are farmers and
herders.

|| Home ||