Power distribution ‘thru’ prepaid metres by 2021’

The country’s entire power distribution system will be brought under prepaid metering system by 2021, said State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid in Dhaka on Sunday. He made the announcement at a contract signing ceremony of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) at Bidyut Bhaban. The DPDC signed a contract with Bangladesh Diesel Plant Ltd, (BDPL), an equipment-manufacturing company, operated by the Bangladesh Army. Under the contract, the BDPL will manufacture, supply and install  10,000 prepaid electricity metres in the DPDC’s Azimpur operation area of the city in the next one year. As per the deal, 5,000 of the prepaid metres will be installed in the next three months, while the remaining during the rest of the period. The BDPL will also operate and maintain metres for the next five years under this pilot project. Under the system, the customers will have to purchase prepaid smart card to get electricity and recharge it for continuous supply, according to a news agency.