After forming government in 2008, a declaration was made that 2012 would be the year of uninterrupted power supply though it could not be implemented that year or in 2015. Now, in 2019, it’s been said that more time is required to ensure uninterrupted supply.
In the past, distribution lines were blamed for failure to provide smooth supply but now it’s found that there’s problem in the supply lines.
Many of the large projects have not been completed and as per the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, PGCB, most work will be done next year.
PGCB sources say that power supply to Dhaka will be raised through Aminbazaar-Mawa-Mongla 400 KV supply lines. This project, which began in June 2016, will finish in mid-2019.
Though more than two and half years have passed, only 17 percent of the work has been done with four percent of the allotted funds spent.
The Western Grid Network Development project started in January 2016 and, so far, 43 percent structural and 27 percent financial development has been done.
This will provide power to Rajshahi and Ishwardi, using 230 KV lines.
The work to increase the grid capacity for rural electrification was supposed to end in December last year though work progress has been 85 percent.
The Pyra 230 KV transmission line project was supposed to end in June this year but work progress has been 31 percent so far with 18 percent of funds spent.
Only five percent of work for the Matarbari Coal Fired Power Plant with 400 KV line has been done. This is supposed to end in 2020.
The same situation of project delay is seen for other plants.
“The government is working to provide uninterrupted electric supply and time is needed; for Korea, it took 30 years,” says State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid.
Energy specialist and former MD of Power Cell BD Rahmatullah, says, “In our country there is talk about investing in distribution and supply lines; the question is: where is the money going?”
Stressing transparency in project work, he added, “Unless accountability is ensured, work will be delayed.”
The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, however, claims bureaucratic red tape was behind the delays.
“With changes in several tax laws by National Board of Revenue, NBR, the money does not go to the banks anymore; instead advice goes and it takes time to understand the advice,” its Managing Director Md Ahsraf Hossain told Bangla Tribune before adding they have opened measures to expedite the process.