|
|
Change Your Life! |
Defaulters to face electricity disconnection |
|
News
|
|
|
July 12, 2000
Dhaka (UNB)- Complying with the Prime Minister’s directive, the Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (DESA) will start disconnecting line of the default consumers from next week. Meanwhile, as directed by the Prime Minister, the DESA was now engage in preparing a list of the defaulters clients. Afterward, before going for disconnecting the lines, the list will be published through media, a top DESA official told a regular press briefing by State Minister for Energy Professor Rafiqul Islam at his office yesterday (Tuesday). The DESA official also retreated from the longtime stand that load-shedding across the city areas happens for only once a day and for an hour only. “The records say load-shedding in some areas happened for to 4/5 times. We are trying to bring it to once a day,” said the official adding: “However, the reported 10/12 times load-shedding in any city area is not true.” Earlier, briefing the newsmen, State Minister for Energy Rafiqul Islam acknowledged that the power situation across the country still remained unstable. “We are yet to bring a stability in the sector,” said the minister adding that thew distribution system in the DESA area still remained vulnerable. “We are trying to implement some projects in the city so that situation become stable.” The Minister the current stable production of 2500 to 2700 MW was good enough to manage the off-peak demand. “But, in the peak time specially in a summer evening the shortage rises even to 1000 MW which can’t be managed through the present level of production.” He said that in the coming inter-ministerial meeting to be held on 17 July the ministry would raise the issue of compulsory closing down the shops in the evening to avoid a electricity scarcity. “This is being followed in many of the country across the globe why not in Bangladesh,” the minister asked. Replying to a question DESA Chairman Sharifuzzaman Bhuyian said that the authority has taken necessary action to avoid electricity crisis because of the negligence of the DESA people. Responding to query, the new Power Development Board Chairman Brig Malek Mollah said that situation didn’t deteriorate in the PDB because of the recent reshuffling. “A number of big positions were created and a number of contractual appointments were given without the approval of the authority. We had to take action on such illegal steps to bring back discipline in the PDB and also to avoid a possible problem in future.” Among others present at the press briefing are Energy Secretary Dr. Toufiq-e-Elehi Bir Bikram, Power Secretary Arabinda Kar, REB Chairman Mesbahuddin Ahmed, PDB member Syed Abdul Mayed and DESA members Kazi Jahurul Azam and Dr, Mujibur Rahman. |