Old applicants wait for power connections as govt starts receiving new petitions
FE Report | Wednesday, 2 March 2011
FE Report
Government has started receiving new applications for electricity supplies from Tuesday although it could provide connections to very few of the previous applicants, a power ministry official said. He said the state-owned power entities at the same time have started issuing demand notes in favour of the previous applicants who are yet to get those. But all of them will have to wait until issuance of further directive from the government in this regard, said the official. Country's economy is facing a crisis with lower industrial output and higher manufacturing costs and almost stagnation in real estate and housing business due to non-availability of new electricity connections. Regarding new electricity connections, power ministry officials said the existing preferential treatment of setting solar panels by large residential, commercial and industrial consumers still remains as a condition for getting new electricity connections. A new government directive regarding new electricity connections is expected to be issued within March after considering the country's overall electricity generation and demand, said the ministry official. After resumption of electricity connections across the country from November 01 last year, very few people could await the opportunity due to the condition of setting up solar panels. "Until today we could provide electricity connections to only 100 clients since November although around 64,000 applicants had submitted demand notes," said a senior official of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC). About 10,000 applications are still pending with us for new electricity connections, said the official of the DPDC, which has the authority to provide electricity connections in the capital. "We are providing new connections to only those who have set up solar PVs as per the government policy," said the DPDC official. New applicants are, however, aggrieved with the government's condition of installing solar panels for getting new electricity connections. The state-owned power entities are providing electricity connections to those who are setting up solar panels although the government has not made it mandatory for new connections, an applicant Zakir Hossain told the FE. The power ministry in a circular on new electricity connections spells out that for new connections the solar panel holders would be given priority. Residential consumers who would be using electricity up to two kilowatts (kw) have been exempted from installing solar panels. The residential clients who would consume over two kilowatts of electricity would be requested to install solar panels equivalent to three per cent of their total electricity consumption, the circular said. Commercial and industrial consumers having sanctioned load above five kilowatts (kw) would be requested to install solar panels for generating electricity of around seven per cent of their light and fan loads. The clients having sanctioned load above five kilowatts would be requested to set up solar panels equivalent to 10 per cent of their light and fan loads. The readymade garment entrepreneurs would be requested to install solar panels to generate around five per cent of their fan and light loads. State-owned power entities were also asked to consider the cases of those who lack sufficient space to install solar panels.
Government has started receiving new applications for electricity supplies from Tuesday although it could provide connections to very few of the previous applicants, a power ministry official said. He said the state-owned power entities at the same time have started issuing demand notes in favour of the previous applicants who are yet to get those. But all of them will have to wait until issuance of further directive from the government in this regard, said the official. Country's economy is facing a crisis with lower industrial output and higher manufacturing costs and almost stagnation in real estate and housing business due to non-availability of new electricity connections. Regarding new electricity connections, power ministry officials said the existing preferential treatment of setting solar panels by large residential, commercial and industrial consumers still remains as a condition for getting new electricity connections. A new government directive regarding new electricity connections is expected to be issued within March after considering the country's overall electricity generation and demand, said the ministry official. After resumption of electricity connections across the country from November 01 last year, very few people could await the opportunity due to the condition of setting up solar panels. "Until today we could provide electricity connections to only 100 clients since November although around 64,000 applicants had submitted demand notes," said a senior official of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC). About 10,000 applications are still pending with us for new electricity connections, said the official of the DPDC, which has the authority to provide electricity connections in the capital. "We are providing new connections to only those who have set up solar PVs as per the government policy," said the DPDC official. New applicants are, however, aggrieved with the government's condition of installing solar panels for getting new electricity connections. The state-owned power entities are providing electricity connections to those who are setting up solar panels although the government has not made it mandatory for new connections, an applicant Zakir Hossain told the FE. The power ministry in a circular on new electricity connections spells out that for new connections the solar panel holders would be given priority. Residential consumers who would be using electricity up to two kilowatts (kw) have been exempted from installing solar panels. The residential clients who would consume over two kilowatts of electricity would be requested to install solar panels equivalent to three per cent of their total electricity consumption, the circular said. Commercial and industrial consumers having sanctioned load above five kilowatts (kw) would be requested to install solar panels for generating electricity of around seven per cent of their light and fan loads. The clients having sanctioned load above five kilowatts would be requested to set up solar panels equivalent to 10 per cent of their light and fan loads. The readymade garment entrepreneurs would be requested to install solar panels to generate around five per cent of their fan and light loads. State-owned power entities were also asked to consider the cases of those who lack sufficient space to install solar panels.