Develop own system for seamless bill payments

Nasrul Hamid urges power sector

FE Team | Published: July 30, 2024 00:00:19

State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has called on power sector entities to develop their own communication systems to ensure uninterrupted bill payments and other operations during emergencies, reports UNB.
Addressing a progress meeting of the Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) at the Power Division on Monday, Hamid emphasised the importance of having independent communication systems. "If you have your own communication system, you can ensure that all communications, including bill payments, can be done quickly during emergencies," he told officials.
This directive came in response to the recent internet blackout during student protests, which disrupted consumers' ability to recharge their prepaid and smart prepaid cards, resulting in automatic disconnections of electricity services.
Hamid urged officials to prioritise cyber and physical security for power infrastructures and to ensure the implementation of decisions taken in various meetings.
He also stressed the need for a roadmap to build a smart Bangladesh swiftly.
The meeting revealed that the Power Division achieved 101.82 per cent implementation of the revised annual development plan (RADP) for financial year 2023-24. The total allocation for 64 projects under the Power Division was over Tk 300.63 billion (Tk 30,063.66 crore), with actual expenditure reaching over Tk 306.09 billon (Tk 30,609.89 crore).
Commending the officials for surpassing the implementation target, Hamid expressed his gratitude and emphasized the importance of setting and achieving monthly targets in a strategic manner for financial year 2024-25.
The meeting was attended by Senior Secretary of the Power Division Md. Habibur Rahman, Chairman of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) Munira Sultana, Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Chairman of BREB Ajay Kumar Chakraborty, Director General of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain, and heads of various entities under the Power Division.