The price of power
S.A. Mansoor, Gulshan, Dhaka
We are observing a very sorry state of affairs in the energy and power sector. Unfortunately, the biggest and the most visible failure of the present government has been power (electricity) and less visible-- mineral resources extraction (energy)! Rationalizing power tariff is a reasonable step. I believe we should immediately introduce the two-tier power structure with high evening tariff rate (6 :00pm to 10:pm) for commercial establishments as the first priority step. Even an automatic sealed breaker set at, say, fifteen percent over connected load should be coupled to the incoming cable of all commercial load to ensure that excess power is not consumed. This will ensure self-control on power usage. The next step should be staggered closure of offices and shops; area-wise to conserve power. However, these need to be monitored and strictly enforced, otherwise these would be futile! A daily has stated which I quote "A tariff hike, should be undertaken only after all other options for increasing power revenue have been exhausted. These options, there is much reason to believe, have not been explored to the fullest". This needs to be clarified and explained to the deprived power hungry readers which can also be of help during the ERC's first consultation meeting scheduled for 1st October and a service to the nation groaning under power starvation.
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