Gaibandha Palli Bidyut Samity (GPBS) under Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board provided 2,01,124 electricity connections to rural establishments of five upazilas in the district since 2009.
According to sources the GPBS was established on December 02, 1999 taking Sadar, Shaghata, Fulchhari, Palashbari and Gobindaganj upazilas out of seven of the district and started its electricity supply on March 01, 2000.
Till 2008, the samity gave the electricity connections to 44,971 rural establishments including 35,384 households, 4,833 commercial hubs and 826 industrial houses through constructing 1,726 km lines.
In 2009 after assuming to power the grand alliance Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted a programme ‘Ghore Ghore Bidyut’ and ‘Cent Percent Electrification’ project.
Accordingly, the huge development activities including more 2,042 km line construction were done by the GPBS under the schemes in the upazilas of the district like other parts of the country.
Till June, 2018 the samity provided a total of 2,01,124 electricity connections to the households, commercial hubs, industrial houses and irrigation purposes, said deputy general manager of the samity Abul Hasan.
In 2008, the demand of the electricity in the upazilas of the district was 11 MW and in 2018, the demand here rose to 48 MW; he said adding that the per head usage of electricity rose to 407 unit from 220 one.
By this time, Sadar, Shaghata and Fulchhari upazilas were brought under 100 percent electrification coverage and the rest Palashbari and Gobindaganj upazilas would be brought under cent percent coverage by December, 2018, said assistant general manager M. Shahidur Rahman Khan.
Talking to the BSS, general manager of GPBS GHM Wahedul Haque said working opportunities had been created at the industrial houses of the upazilas side by side with changing the socio-economic conditions and living standard of the rural people for electrification.
The electricity connections were being given to the new consumers without any hassle and harassment through spot metering system, an innovation by him, following short time, low cost and few visit, he concluded, reports BSS from Giabandha.
