New power connections in city to be completed by this June
Monday, 16 May 2011
FE Report
The government will complete providing power connections to all applicants in the capital, who have deposited money against the demand note, by this June, said the energy adviser Saturday. "Those who have deposited money against the demand note will get power connections. Also, the 500 kilowatt cap will not be there," said Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury at the annual dinner of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) at a city hotel. According to an earlier announcement, at least 186,000 homes and other establishments have remained without electricity since April last year due to the ban imposed to avoid further deterioration of the power situation in the country. In April this year the government said applicants for less than 500 kilowatt of power would get priority. The authorities were scheduled to resume the power connections from May 15 (Sunday). The energy adviser said the power crisis is a temporary one which is an outcome of negligence in this sector by the previous government. But the present government has taken bold steps to get rid of the problem which he expects to be overcome by the end of this year. Relating to the condition of installing rooftop solar panel for getting power connections, Chowdhury said the structures which do not have provision for installing solar panels will be spared from the condition. "The already completed buildings will not require mandatory solar panels but they will get power connections to meet their minimum requirement. Also, I have asked the REHAB authority to come up with proposals as to how to construct energy-efficient buildings in future," he added. More than 202,000 applicants will be waiting for power connections even after the new connections are given. "They will get power connections within this year," Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told the FE Sunday, adding, "There is about 400 to 500 mw load shedding every day." The country is still experiencing power shortage even though the overall electricity generation has increased on an average 400 mw in recent months. State Minister for Environment and Forests Hasan Mahmud, who was present at the dinner as a special guest, said it's not enough to be environment-friendly just by installing solar panels but the overall building design should be energy-conservative. "It's possible to design a building in such a way that there will be only 40 per cent energy consumption," said Mr Mahmud. Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President AK Azad said many realtors have already become bank loan defaulters as they could not hand over or sell apartments for the last one year. "I request the government to write off the interest so that they do not become bankrupt," said Mr Azad. REHAB President Nasrul Hamid Bipu said the Real Estate Development and Management Act 2010 provides for punishment to developers for wrongdoings. The act, passed by the Jatiya Sangsad on September 22 in 2010, says all real estate developers have to get registered with the authorities concerned, and an unregistered developer may be imprisoned for two years or fined Tk 1.0 million (10 lakh). He said the finance minister has assured him of reducing the amount of advance income tax (AIT) at source in the upcoming budget by dividing Dhaka into three zones and Chittagong into two zones.
The government will complete providing power connections to all applicants in the capital, who have deposited money against the demand note, by this June, said the energy adviser Saturday. "Those who have deposited money against the demand note will get power connections. Also, the 500 kilowatt cap will not be there," said Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury at the annual dinner of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) at a city hotel. According to an earlier announcement, at least 186,000 homes and other establishments have remained without electricity since April last year due to the ban imposed to avoid further deterioration of the power situation in the country. In April this year the government said applicants for less than 500 kilowatt of power would get priority. The authorities were scheduled to resume the power connections from May 15 (Sunday). The energy adviser said the power crisis is a temporary one which is an outcome of negligence in this sector by the previous government. But the present government has taken bold steps to get rid of the problem which he expects to be overcome by the end of this year. Relating to the condition of installing rooftop solar panel for getting power connections, Chowdhury said the structures which do not have provision for installing solar panels will be spared from the condition. "The already completed buildings will not require mandatory solar panels but they will get power connections to meet their minimum requirement. Also, I have asked the REHAB authority to come up with proposals as to how to construct energy-efficient buildings in future," he added. More than 202,000 applicants will be waiting for power connections even after the new connections are given. "They will get power connections within this year," Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told the FE Sunday, adding, "There is about 400 to 500 mw load shedding every day." The country is still experiencing power shortage even though the overall electricity generation has increased on an average 400 mw in recent months. State Minister for Environment and Forests Hasan Mahmud, who was present at the dinner as a special guest, said it's not enough to be environment-friendly just by installing solar panels but the overall building design should be energy-conservative. "It's possible to design a building in such a way that there will be only 40 per cent energy consumption," said Mr Mahmud. Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President AK Azad said many realtors have already become bank loan defaulters as they could not hand over or sell apartments for the last one year. "I request the government to write off the interest so that they do not become bankrupt," said Mr Azad. REHAB President Nasrul Hamid Bipu said the Real Estate Development and Management Act 2010 provides for punishment to developers for wrongdoings. The act, passed by the Jatiya Sangsad on September 22 in 2010, says all real estate developers have to get registered with the authorities concerned, and an unregistered developer may be imprisoned for two years or fined Tk 1.0 million (10 lakh). He said the finance minister has assured him of reducing the amount of advance income tax (AIT) at source in the upcoming budget by dividing Dhaka into three zones and Chittagong into two zones.