"In the proposed law, we will suggest inclusion of the provision that makes all offences including power theft as non-bailable. The persons involved in such crimes must get stern punishment," said Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, state minister for energy and mineral resources at a briefing at his secretariat office yesterday.

"It is about time we replaced the over 90-year-old act for sound distribution and customer service," he said.

Mahmood however said his ministry would solicit opinion from all sections of society before making the final draft of the law, aimed to help put a better management and distribution system in place.

"If people feel such a move will infringe on their fundamental rights, we will scrap the provision," he said.

The state minister said a high-powered committee will be formed by this week to make a draft of the proposed act.

"Provisions will also be there to ensure punishment for corrupt staffs and reward for high-performing ones in the power sector."

The ministry took the initiative after a committee put forward its suggestions at the end of recent trip to India. The ministerial committee examined the relevant law there and learnt about the experiences of West Bengal, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in curbing pilferage in power sector.

The state minister said the committee proposed a five-year jail term years in place of a three-year one and a maximum fine of Tk 25,000 instead of Tk 10,000 for anyone illegally availing themselves of power.

"It also suggested formation of a special court or tribunal for trying cases related to power theft," he added.

Only two amendments -- the Electricity (Amendment) Ordinance, 1983 and the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 1993 -- were made so far to the existing act.

"But in those amendments, there is no provision of punishment to persons responsible for systems loss," the state minister said pointing out the weakness of the act now in force.

The minister said pre-paid billing system will be introduced in Sylhet in July next year as a pilot project.

"We have also decided to collect bills of the consumers from their bank accounts. An agreement has been signed with the Standard Chartered Bank to collect its clients' electricity bills from their accounts," he said.