Electricity for all needed for becoming economic power: Sonia

New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said electricity was the key to India becoming an economic power.

Speaking at the remote-control launch of the Barh transmission system by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his official residence here, Ms Gandhi said it would help in the development of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

She, however, said there were many areas where growth and development had not reached.

She said growth in agriculture, industry, health and education all depended on electricity, and the goal to provide electricity to all by 2012 was not a mean challenge.

''When that goal is achieved, nobody can stop India from becoming an economic power,'' she added.

Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said his ministry would make all efforts to increase power generation four-fold to 37,150 MW by 2012 to achieve the target of 9-10 per cent GDP growth.

Power Secretary R V Shahi said all the villages of Rai Bareli, the constituency of Ms Gandhi which she visited yesterday, would receive electricity by July this year.

''Till now 60 per cent of the villages there have got electricity.'' UNI YJ VJ DS1355