Financial Tribune - The number of rural areas linked to the national power grid has increased by 13 fold or 1.200% over the past four decades, the manager in charge of rural electricity expansion at the Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company (Tavanir) said.

"The figure was 4,360 in 1979, and has now reached 57,300," Ali Chehel Amirani was quoted as saying by IRNA.

Energy Ministry data show that in the 40 years every weak 25 villages with households ranging between 20 and 50 were connected to the network, he added.