People getting electricity despite austerity amid global crisis: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that the people are getting electricity even though the government has imposed some austerity measures to navigate global crisis.

"People are getting electricity and will get it, but all have to maintain austerity," she said.

"We are also maintaining austerity in some cases. We are compelled to do so for the present situation," she said while inaugurating the installation of a reactor pressure vessel at the second unit of the 2,400-megawatt Rooppur nuclear power plant (RNPP), reports UNB.

She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban while it was held at Ishwardi in the northern district of Pabna.

The country's lone nuclear power plant, being constructed at Rooppur in Ishwardi at a total cost of US$ 12.65 billion, has two units with a power-generation capacity of 1200 MW each.

The prime minister said her government has fulfilled its promise of providing electricity to all.

"We have kept our promise. We have been able to reach electricity to every house of Bangladesh," she said. She said that the current problem has arisen due to a war like situation in the world and COVID-19 pandemic.

"...prices have gone up in everything including transportation. As a result the developed countries are suffering from various problems," she said.

She went on saying that the developed countries also have focused on savings in every spheres of life. We are also doing that.

"Because the world is now a global village one is dependent on another. When the world is suffering from economic recession that blow also comes to us," she said. As a result, she went on, "We have also started maintaining austerity."

"That does not mean, people of the country will not get electricity," she said.

She once again blamed the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent sanctions for compounding the problems.

"I hope that the world will get relief from this situation very quickly," she added.

PM Hasina said Bangladesh sets an example in the world in the use of nuclear power for development and peaceful purpose.

She mentioned that the project is being implemented ensuring overall safety in the nuclear power plant.

Once the project is fully implemented, Bangladesh would march further ahead and it would bring honour for the country, Hasina said.

She said that the nuclear project will play a pivotal role in establishing a developed and prosperous Bangladesh through implementation of the long term perspective plan 2021-2041.

She mentioned that the installation of the Reactor Pressure Vessel in the second unit of the Rooppur Power Plant will be written with golden words as a day of another achievement in the country's history.

Describing electricity generated from nuclear power plant as very environment friendly, the premier said, it will not cause any harm to the environment and the country.

She hoped that the first unit of the plant will come into operation next year, while the second unit will begin electricity generation in 2024 and a total of 2400 MW of electricity will be generated from the two units together.