Energy Bangla

Government can’t increase use of prepaid meter due to crisis of
skilled distributor.  By floating tender for several times Power
division didn’t get response. Beside, country is facing expertise
crisis in the field.
On Sunday, in a workshop, Power cell officials informed this at Biddyut Bhaban.
Officials said in the workshop, PDB and WZOPDCO floated tender for 1
lakh 39 thousand miter for PDB and 31 thousand miters for WZOPDCO for
their Chittagong project. But none respond to the tender.
In this situation the government plans to provide prepaid meters to
all by next five years. As per plan some 1, 34, 97,279 pre-paid meter
will be installed. At present only 91 thousand 885 consumers are using
pre-paid meter out of 2cr consumers. PDB has highest per-paid meter
user 54,553, REB 2,239, DPDC 10,721, DESCO 22,616 and WZPDCO 1,756.
State minister for power and energy Nasrul Hamid said in the work
shop, In future we will open for private sector to install pre-paid
meter. We need a plan; how we overcome the complications of installing
prepaid meter. He said, as per plan, prepaid meter will be used for
uninterrupted power supply.
Power Secretary chaired the workshop. Country Director Kazuhico
Higuci, PDB Chairman K M Hasan, Brig Gen Moin Uddin and relevant
officials were present in the workshop.
Power Cell Managing Director Muhammad Hussain presented a key note
paper on the project.