The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Advisor to the Caretaker Government on Commerce and Education Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman here on Tuesday pledged some crash programs aimed at addressing the long standing power and gas crisis.

He told the news workers that a set of proposals that had mainly come from the merchant community was chosen on principle for higher scrutiny and approval.

The high-powered committee on solving gas and power crisis in Chittagong is likely to announce the plan of action on August 6 or 13 after a number of meetings in Dhaka.

The proposals received initial nod were hiring of 50 megawatts barge-mounted power plant under private-public collaboration apart from generation enhancement at the Kaptai hydroelectric plant and other local gas-based power stations.

He also expressed high hope for easing gas supply to the industrial units that pumped significant amount of investment on priority basis under supply management and exploitation enhancement from the existing wells.

The advisor claimed that an instant calculation on gas requirement in the port city would unlikely to exceed the current exploitation range but the supply needs intensive supervision and management.

"We'll push the agencies concerned hard in streamlining the supply management," he asserted.

Dr. Zillur Rahman had been briefing the local news workers after a series of meetings with the top public officials and the merchant community finding solutions to port city's power and gas crisis.

He assured that 'merchant power plant policy' would soon be formulated to safeguard the energy security and investment in the country.

Three phase schemes - short, medium and long - will be outlined in the upcoming power plant policy.

Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on energy and mineral resources Dr. Tamim said that moves had been launched to workout possible ways to set up nuclear power plant.

Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on Post, Telecommunication and Social Welfare Brigadier General (Retd) MA Maleq said that the nation might save least 600-700 megawatts power simply by cutting import duty on energy-saving lamps.

Earlier, Director of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCC&I) Amirul Haq alleged that investment worth not less than 35000 million had been stalled simply because of gas and electricity.

Member of Planning Commission Nasir Uddin, acting Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Alhaj M Monjur Alam, Chairman of petrobangla Jalal Uddin, President Bangladesh Shippers Council Mahbub Ali, President of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) MA Salam, Better Business Forum leader Mahmudul Haque, entrepreneur Mamun Al Rashid and CCCI member Saiful Huda Jahangir among others addressed in the first session of two-session meeting.