Another N power plant in southern region: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Sunday that another nuclear power plant would be set up in the southern region for which the government is working to select an island there, reports UNB.

She said a nuclear power plant is being established in Rooppur.

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Ashuganj 450 megawatt (MW) combined cycle (north) power plant, Keraniganj 108MW power plant, import of 60 MW power from Tripura and cent per cent electrification of 10 upazilas of the country through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban.

Considering the growing demand of power, her government has been diversifying the source of electricity as some 160 MW of power, including the latest 60 MW, is now being imported from Indian Tripura state, Hasina said.

Besides, efforts are on to procure hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan, she said.

Sheikh Hasina renewed her call to the country's people to exercise austerity in the use of electricity considering it as a national asset.

"It's my request to all to exercise austerity in using electricity ...you please don't misuse it," she said.

She also made a special request to all to switch off power connections before leaving their workplaces and homes to exercise austerity alongside keeping the electricity bills at a desired level.

Mentioning that the government is realising power tariff at 22 per cent less than the actual production cost considering the interest of common people, Hasina said her government is doing this to ensure the access of people to electricity and improve their lifestyle despite incurring huge losses.

She also urged people to use prepaid metres to exercise austerity in power use and stay alert so that no one could play games anymore with electricity bills.

"We want to see there's no misuse of power. We also want to introduce this prepaid meters across the country and seek your all-out cooperation in this regard...please consider electricity as the country's asset," she said.

Noting that electricity is essential for unleashing any development, the Prime Minister said the aim of her government is to ensure cent per cent electrification throughout the country whereas the power coverage in Bangladesh is now 80 per cent.

Blasting the BNP-Jamaat government and the subsequent army-backed caretaker government for not generating even a single MW of power during their seven-year tenure, the Prime Minister alleged that the power generation came down to 3,400 MW when her government assumed office in 2009 although the production capacity had reached 4,300 MW when the AL government left power after the 2001 general election.

She said it was her party which first opened up the power generation to the private sector during the 1996-2001 term through enacting a law while captive power generations were also allowed during that time.

Besides, two large power plants -- Meghnaghat 450 MW and Haripur 360 MW -- were set up at that time with private sector initiatives.