Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO) has initiated a move to implement a Tk 1.86 billion (Tk 186.50 crore) project to supply and install some 0.2 million smart pre-payment meters in DESCO area to further improve its services to the clients.
“The Planning Commission has already considered a draft project proposal to this end sent from the Power Division and it will be placed before the ECNEC meeting on Thuesday for its consideration,” said a senior Planning Commission official.
Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting to be held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area, reports BSS.
The DESCO under the Power Division will implement the project by December 2020. “Out of the total project cost of Tk 1.86 billion (Tk 186.50 crore), Tk 1.78 billion will come from the government of Bangladesh while the rest of Tk 79.7 million from the DESCO’s own fund.”
The Planning Commission official said the main objectives of the project include further improving the standards of client services by the DESCO through digitisation as well as load controlling and improving the revenue realization management.
“The project also aims at realising revenue in advance, lowering the non-technical loss at zero level, simplifying the demand side load controlling management, and reducing the misuse of electricity,” the official said adding that online load management, monitoring and trouble-shooting system will also be introduced under the project.
According to the Draft Project Proposal (DPP), the project area covers Mirpur, Pallabi, Agargaon, Kafrul, Shah Ali, Dhaka Cantonment, Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Badda, Uttara, Uttarkhan, Dakshinkhan and Tongi.
The project operations include installation of some 1.80 lakh single phase smart pre-payment meters alongside installation of some 20,000 three-phase smart pre-payment meters, installation of two meter testing phase and installation of online network for giving connectivity to some 2 lakh smart pre-payment meters.