CCC plan to set up power plants uncertain

A project was taken in this regard in 2000 to provide some solace to the city dwellers living under 'unpredictable' power supply, CCC Executive Engineer (Electrical) Md Shahidullah told The Daily Star. And it was taken with the consent of the then energy secretary, Shahidullah said. Till date, about 13 to 14 companies from home and abroad have shown interest to invest in setting up power plants, he said.

Our study reveals that the city had long been reeling under 50 to 80 MW power shortage daily against average demand of around 230MW, he said. One of our main objectives was to fill this deficit and make Chittagong a power-outage-free city, he added.

We would provide the companies all infrastructural facilities including land. But, it is upto them to collect and obtain necessary permission from the authorities concerned such as Bakrhabad Gas System Ltd (BGSL), Environment, Explosives and NBR, he said.

However, sources said the companies have been facing dilly-dallying and even being harassed by some officials concerned. When contacted one official of the Department of Environment here denied the charges saying the interested companies lack some basic requirements. "If they fulfil the preconditions then we will not hesitate to issue necessary license or give permission to set up the power plants," the official said on condition of anonymity. The city corporation has so far signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 13 companies to set up power plants having 10 MW capacity each at a cost of Tk 30 to Tk 40 lakh.

According to MOU, the proposed power plants are to be built on BOT (Built-Operate-Transfer) basis, sources said.

Eleven of the 13 companies are Hosaf Meter Agency, Cultimax Energy, Power Generation & Equipment Co, M/S Asian Marketing Corporation, AIE Engineering, Noorpur Power Limited, Z & Z Distribution Limited, Dakib Corporation, M/S Del Forest and Global Infrastructural Corporation. The CCC executive engineer could not give the names of two other firms rather suggested this correspondent to come to him through proper channel for 'details' after return of the mayor from abroad.

Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury is now in Bangkok for treatment and will back home later this month.