East China's Jiangsu Province, one of the country's economic powerhouses, has stepped up efforts to assist the resettlement of local people affected by the Three Gorges hydro-electric power project on the Yangtze River.

Since 1992, the province has invested 55 million yuan (about 6. 6 million US dollars) in 52 businesses in the Three Gorges area, which have provided thousands of jobs to local people.

One of the businesses, the Three Gorges Shoe Co., Ltd., funded by the Senda Group of Jiangsu, went into operation in April and now employs 500 local residents.

Meanwhile, the province has established numerous public facilities in the area, including 50 schools and a library.

The Three Gorges hydro-electric power project, located near Yichang in central China's Hubei Province, will cost an estimated 50.09 billion yuan. It will have 26 generating units with a combined capacity of 18.2 million kw and an annual output of 84.7 billion kwh.

The resettlement of more than one million people living in the dam area started in October of 1992. The entire project is scheduled for completion in the year 2009.