The government has asked its power grid companies to expedite efforts to get the electricity back on for all snow-stricken regions by the end of March.

The State Grid Corporation of China and China Southern Power Grid should insure that consumers, as well as the industrial and agricultural sectors, were reconnected, the Disaster Relief and Emergency Command Center under the State Council said in a web notice on Monday.

The companies could turn to the military if necessary, said the notice. The command center would take charge of arrangements to ensure the supply of repair equipment and other materials.

The notice said that there would be adequate restoration subsidies for local power grid firms but didn't provide any details.

The restoration of the grid has reached a challenging stage, since the remaining damage is mostly located in remote high mountains.

As of Saturday, 79.2 percent of the power transmission lines and 87.6 percent of the transformer substations damaged nationwide had resumed operation, the latest figures from the State Electricity Regulatory Commission showed.

The severe winter weather, worst in five decades, killed 107 people and caused 111.1 billion yuan (US$15.45 billion) in direct economic losses. In all, 21 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have been affected.

(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2008)