Company yet to set up two power plants as three years elapse by

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FHM Humayan Kabir
A state-owned power generation company has failed to start installation work of two plants with 300-megawatt capacity within the stipulated time of three years despite availability of funds, officials said Friday.
The company has now sought extension of time for the two power generation projects as it failed to even complete the tender process within the stipulated three years of time in the outgoing financial year 2009, a planning ministry official told the FE.
"When the country is experiencing more than 1500mw of electricity shortfall against the demand, we're just baffled by the performance of the newly-set up power generation company," he said preferring anonymity.
The state-owned North West Power Generation Company Ltd (NWPGC) has applied to the planning ministry seeking extension of time for the Sirajganj 150mw and Khulna 150mw peaking power plant projects up to June 2010.
Following the acute electricity crisis in the country, the company undertook the projects expected to be completed during the period of FY2007 to FY2009.
A Power Division official said though the company received fund confirmation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) two years back for both the projects, it has failed even to appoint contractors for setting up the power stations.
The Asian Development Bank signed a loan agreement with the government on June 28, 2007 to finance the projects.
The planning ministry official said: "How the company will set up the power stations by the next fiscal 2010 is another mystery."
"Only the God knows how much days they will waste for selecting the contractor. Moreover, they will need at least one year to install the power generators," he said.
The NWPGC spent only Tk 12.97 million against the total allocation of Tk 6.88 billion for the Sirajganj 150mw power plant project.
Similarly, the company spent only Tk 21.09 million out of a total of Tk 8.03 billion available for the Khulna 150mw power generation project.
"It's a shame for us. When the country is experiencing nearly 1500mw electricity shortage everyday, the executing agency is going slow turning a blind eye to the public sufferings," the Power Division official said.
He said the Khulna and Sirajganj power projects were the top priority of the government as those would need maximum one and a half years time to set up generators.
The last caretaker government considering the acute power crisis in the country prepared a short and mid-term power development roadmap in a bid to generate a total of 5,875MW electricity by 2012.
"Despite shortage of gas supply the Petrobangla has assured to supply gas to the two proposed plants and the ADB is also ready to disburse funds," he said, adding "Capacity of the executing agency should be reviewed."
Major donors came forward to finance the power projects in 2006, after their funding suspension for last two decades, but our companies are failing to set up the power generators in time, he added.
The Power Division official said different power development companies and agencies were so inefficient that they were forced to slash the development budget for the division by Tk 5.55 billion from the original allocation of Tk 35.02 billion in the current FY 2009.
The executing agencies under the Power Division implemented only 39 per cent of their projects in nine months (July-March) of the outgoing FY2009.