DESA load-shedding schedule to be available on Teletalk

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Doulot Akter Mala
The power subscribers of the city will be able to know the load-shedding schedule of the Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA) from June 22 next.
Power and Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury will inaugurate the system on June 21 in the city, a senior DESA official told the FE Tuesday.
The DESA will sign an agreement with the state-owned cell phone company Teletalk in this connection.
The authority has also initiated a move to inform the power subscribers of the extent and the areas of load-shedding through short message service (SMS).
The power subscribers will also be able to know the extent and areas of load-shedding through SMS from their cell phones.
Initially, the authority is signing the agreement with Teletalk, but they have a plan to sign more agreements with other cell phone companies, the DESA official said.
The DESA is also intensifying its effort to make the power bill payment system easier to aid the subscribers, he added.
The DESA board has held a number of meetings with GrameenPhone (GP), which is a private cell phone operator, and the state-owned Teletalk in this connection.
A DESA official said the effort has been delayed as the cell phone companies are offering higher rate for their services.
The DESA will also sign another agreement with the Teletalk to launch a bill payment system using flexi-load.
The DESA board with the help of a technical team of the BUET is scrutinising the technical aspects of the initiative.