Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has taken various projects for the development of the country’s power sector to ensure electricity for all by 2021 at an affordable price.
“Considering the growing demand for power with the country’s development, we’ve chalked our plans to meet the future demand and reach electricity to every household,” she said.
The Prime Minister was opening eight power plants having 1,375 MW production capacity alongside new transmission and distribution lines from official residence Ganobhaban through videoconferencing.
She also inaugurated cent percent electrification in 10 upazilas of the country and first-ever electricity connection to Thanchi upazila in Bandarban district.
The plants are Shahjibazar 330 MW combined cycle plant, Khulna 225 MW converted combined cycle plant, Ashuganj 450 MW combined cycle plant, Barisal 110 MW dual-fuel plant, Jamalpur 95 MW dual-fuel plant, Manikganj 55 MW liquid fuel plant, Nababganj 55 MW liquid fuel plant and Narayanganj 55 MW liquid fuel plant.
The 10 upazilas having completed electrification are Keraniganj and Savar in Dhaka, Tongibari in Munshiganj, Kotalipara in Gopalganj, Bhuapur in Tangail, Karnaphuli in Chittagong, Daganbhuiyan in Feni, Kuliarchar in Kishoreganj, Mujibnagar in Meherpur and Syedpur in Rangpur.
The Prime Minister said in the last eight years, the power sector witnessed a tremendous progress that played a significant role in the country’s socioeconomic success, employment generation, food production, increasing the rate of education and women development.
Mentioning that the total electricity production had been cut down to 3,200 MW in 2009 from 4,300 MW in 2001, Hasina, however, said generation capacity has risen to 153,521 MW following prompt and pragmatic steps of the present government.
Describing electricity as an important component to free the country from poverty, she said that is why the government has put importance to the development of this sector.
But, she regretted that during the BNP-Jamaat regime, the power sector had to witness a horrible situation. “The BNP-Jamaat government and the caretaker government didn’t take any step to improve the power sector,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the Awami League government adopted short, medium and long term policies for power generation from multiple sources after coming to power in 2009. “We’d allowed both public and private sectors to take projects.”
Besides, she said, the government waived the import duty from the generators to encourage the owners of industries to produce power for their own mills and factories and allowed them to sell their unused electricity to nearby industrial units.
Apart from electricity generation, the government is implementing massive programmes to reach electricity to remote areas through solar power as well as it opted for renewable energy, Hasina said.
She again urged everybody to maintain austerity in using electricity and check misuse of electricity as the government is giving huge subsidy for its production.
Secretary of the Power Division Dr Ahmad Kaikaus presented a video presentation on the present condition and future plan of the power sector.
Later, the Prime Minister talked to the beneficiaries of cent percent electricity-covered 10 upazilas.
Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Toufiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury and State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid were present, while Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury conducted the programme.
Earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister witnessed a presentation of Engineer-in-Chief of Bangladesh Army Major General Md Siddiqur Rahman Sarker on the proposed integrated traffic management in Bijoy Sarani area of the city.
Army Chief General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum and PM’s Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin took part in the discussion on the presentation.
PM’s Press Secretary Ehsanul Karim said the Prime Minister elaborately went through the presentation and gave some directives for its better execution to ease the traffic situation in busy Bijoy Sarani area.
source:UNB
