Energy Bangla

The Power Division has failed to start all the public sector mega projects in the last three years although the government has given paramount importance to the power sector to put the country in the middle income group by 2021.
In the last three years, the division has kicked off the work on power transmission and distribution networks but progress is slow although most of the transmission and distribution lines are overloaded and dilapidated.
This was disclosed at a meeting on the Annual Development Progra-mme at the Power Division on Sunday presided over by the State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid at his secretariat office, Power Division Secretary Monwar Islam, senior officials of the Division and other utility services were present at the meeting.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the snail’s pace of the project work, Nasrul Hamid observed, “On paper only 10 per cent work of the mega power projects has been completed. This cannot continue.” “Why has it happened?” He enquired.
“There is no funding problem, these are public projects and if we can successfully implement the projects than the cost of electricity will come down but unfortunately you (officials) people are not doing your job properly,” an official who attended Sunday’s meeting quoted the Minister as saying.
The public mega power projects are Shikalbaha-225 MW, Shahjibazar-330 MW and 105 MW, Baghabari-100 MW, Bibiyana (3)-400 MW, Barapukuria-225 MW, Chapainawabganj- 100 MW and Ghorasal-365 MW.
“As per schedule these projects were expected to come into operation within 2015-2016. But now we are pretty sure there is no way we can get a single megawatt of electricity from these projects taken up in 2012,” a Power Development Board (PDB) official said.
According to the PDB a Wind and Solar Power Project at Hatiya was taken up in 2012 for completion by 2014, but it remains incomplete. In the same way there was a government-run Solar Power Project on street poles that remains also under wraps.
“One project is on the right track that is Comilla-Tripura Grid Line, the Power Grid Company has completed 40 per cent job by this time,” the official said.
“The Power Division has taken up 68 projects, but could not start initial work on at least 40 projects, although there is no fund crisis and the Prime Minister herself has taken the responsibility to face all odds threatening its implementation. But we have failed to maintain the schedule,” a senior official told.
The government issued a circular where it said, “Power sector will enjoy all facilities on a priority basis, and to implement the idea the government also passed a special law for power projects, but that did not bear any fruit in terms of implementing state-owned power projects,” a senior official remarked.