State-run power-distribution companies initiated a special arrangement to increase emergency balance of prepaid electricity consumers, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told newsmen Sunday.
More time will be needed to implement the arrangement as the officials of the distribution companies including Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Rural Electrification Board (REB), Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) were doing the task manually for some 25 million consumers in absence of countrywide internet services, he said.
Mr Hamid alleged that a group of miscreants belonging to BNP and Jamaat cutoff the Dhaka-Chattogram internet cable line creating hassles for the clients in recharging prepaid meters.
The miscreants did damage to the data center too, he alleged. The state minister was speaking at a press conference in his residence at Baridhara in the city Sunday afternoon.
The briefing was initially scheduled to be held at Budyut Bhaban near the Secretariat, which later was shifted to Mr Hamid's residence.
The prepaid gas consumers would have to press the button B on their meters and keep it pressed for five seconds before pressing the button A to get emergency balance, he said.
Millions of power and natural gas consumers especially those having prepaid meters are not being able to recharge their meters for the last several days in absence of internet services.
Mr Hamid sought cooperation from all concerned to come out of the crisis.
Azizjst@yahoo.com