Govt forms fact-finding body to look into power blackout

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FE Report
The government has formed a seven-member fact-finding committee to look into the reasons behind Friday's countywide power blackout.
Headed by former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman ANM Rijwan, who is also a grid expert, the committee has been asked to submit its reports in two weeks, a government spokesman told a press briefing after the weekly meeting of the council of advisers Sunday.
The council of advisers meeting, which was held with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, was also informed that the concerned authorities had also been directed to make operational all the remaining tripped power units by November 30.
The committee has to make some recommendations to the government in respect of avoiding further such power outage in the future, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Monaim told newsmen.
Other members of the committee are: BUET professors Kamrul Ahsan and S Shahnewaj Ahmed, former REB chairman Touhidul Islam, former PDB chairman Khijir Khan, trainer at the Military Institute of Science and Technology Lt Col Moyeen Uddin and Director (technical) of Power Grid Company Ruhul Amin.
Fahim, however, informed the newsmen that the country was able to resume power supply to the tune of 3219 megawatts Sunday against the demand for nearly 3400mw.
The whole country experienced several hours of power blackout in two phases Friday following the shutdown of the country's all power plants, resulting in the collapse of the National Power Grid.
Besides, the meeting of the advisers' council approved the proposal for procurement of a total of 200,000 tonnes of rice by the government during the current aman season.
Of the target, the government will purchase 150,000 tonnes of rice and 75,000 tonnes of paddy during the period between November 20, 2007 and February 28, 2008.
The procurement price of rice has been fixed at Tk 20 per kilogramme (kg) while that of paddy Tk 12 per kg, Fahim mentioned.
The advisers' meeting also approved the proposal for amending the existing policy on operation of passenger aircraft in the private sector, enhancing their paid-up capital to Tk 200 million (20 crore) from the existing Tk 100 million.
Besides, the existing provision for payment of Tk 30,000 as licence fee by the private operators to the Civil Aviation Authority has been withdrawn.
Under the proposed amendment, the foreign aircraft operators, having registration from overseas, would not require taking prior approval from the government's Aviation authorities.
But the aircraft operators under a joint venture with local entrepreneurs will have to register with the Board of Investment (BoI).
The meeting also approved a proposal for amendment to the 'Rules of Business" in order to facilitate preservation of important documents regarding decisions of the Cabinet Division meetings, which took place 25 years ago.
After discussing the post-cyclone rescue and rehabilitation efforts, the meeting asked the finance adviser to set modalities for disbursement of agri-credit to the cyclone-hit farmers in consultation with the Bangladesh Bank today (Monday).