The project of replacing all household electricity meters with the pre-paid ones began more than a decade ago but has made very little progress, even though the government plans on having the project completed by 2021.
Out of 22 million subscribers only 100,000 have been provided with the meters in the last 12 years.
There are a number of reasons that are slowing down the implementation, including technical difficulties, lack of skilled manpower, corrupt government officials, and the fear among low level power sector employees that many of their jobs will vanish with the change.
An official of the Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, asking not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that a group of corrupt officials of the electricity distribution companies deliberately had been stalling the project by pressuring their bosses, because the existing system is more conducive to their illegal money making racket.
He added that there was also not enough competent and skilled manpower to implement the project on time.
The plan stipulates that between 2016 and 2021 pre-paid meters will be given to 4.5 million subscribers of the Power Development Board (PDB), 11million of the Rural Electrification Board (REB), 2.85 million of Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), 1.35 million of Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco), and 1.3 million of West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL).
As per the contract, PDB was supposed to buy 5,000 meters; DPDC 10,000; Desco 10,000; WZPDCL 5,000; and REB 5,000 from Ideal Enterprise. The contract was to complete that phase of the project in nine months since the signing of the deal on July 14, 2011.
Later, the implementation time was extended five times. Finally the deadline was fixed at June 30, 2015. During this period, Ideal Enterprise supplied 19,250 meters but installed only 10,705.
Later some more were installed bringing the current total to 18,705. And Ideal Enterprise asked for yet another extension of the deadline till the end of December this year, and PDB approved.
Power Division Secretary Monowar Islam said the project was halted because of technical difficulties related to installation.
He said the plan was that the distribution agencies would install their own pre-paid meters but was later the decision was changed so a unified system could be used with all the contractors.
The secretary said installing the meters under the unified system also has its own complexities, because of varied recharging systems and consumer classes.
That is why a lot of time was needed to solve all the complexities and create a platform for a successful management system, he went on adding, the journey had already started and the companies were given a well-formulated plan, the development would be visible very soon.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
