Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (Desco), which commands the power distribution system in north-west and eastern parts of Dhaka city, yesterday signed a contract with a South Korean company to set up five 132/33/11 kV grid substations to improve its system.
As per the deal, Korean contractor Hyosung Corporation will supply and install all the substations on turnkey basis at Uttara, Aftabnagar, Purbachal, Bashundhara, and Gulshan-Banani.
“Once the substations come into operation, they will play a vital role in improving power supply situation in these areas,” said Sayed Sarwar, managing director of Desco.
He also said the substations will improve capacity to provide 450,000 new connections.
The five substations will cost Tk 455.42 crore. The project is being implemented with the fund from Desco, Asian Development Bank and the Bangladesh government.
At present, Desco has 700,000 consumers in a command area of 250 square kilometres in the city and adjoining areas including Tongi, Mirpur, Uttara, Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Mohakhali and Rampura.
Addressing the contract signing ceremony at the capital’s Radisson Hotel, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid directed the Desco officials to be more professional to provide services to their consumers.
“You’re a service providing agency, your main job is to sell out service. But still your consumers don’t know whom they would contact when they face power disruption or any problem in power supply. That is very shocking,” he told the Desco officials.
He also directed the Desco officials to publish advertisement in newspapers about the numbers of their call centres.
Tajul Islam, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee of the power and energy ministry, and Mahbubul Alam, additional secretary to the power ministry and chairman of Desco, also spoke.