The PDB's woes have multiplied because the promotions were being handled by the power ministry, instead the PDB itself, for more than a year now. A senior PDB official said the ministry's intervention is unwarranted. Again, the ministry was not pursuing the ACC clearance that is holding back vital promotions.

As a result, the PDB is heavily suffering from lack of decision-making, he said. Junior officers are ignoring their immediate bosses who are working based on "current charge" or "additional charge".

The PDB chairman and the members for generation, planning and distribution are serving on "current charge" from January-February last. They are technical officials who have developed their careers in the PDB. The post of member transmission has remained vacant for more than a year.

Two other members for finance and administration, who the ministry sent on deputation, however hold full responsibilities.

In addition, all engineers ranging from executive engineer to chief engineer are carrying out their duties as "in-charge" or on "current charge". The number of these posts is above 90, said a PDB high official requesting anonymity.

As there had been no fresh recruitment in the PDB for many years, retirements of a good number of competent officials have created huge vacancies at the top tier. These posts were never completely taken up during the alliance government rule where the Hawa Bhaban dictated which decisions the PDB should take. This is manifested in the fact that in five years the BNP led alliance government changed PDB's chairman eight times.

Side by side, a section of power ministry bureaucrats under the leadership of ex-power secretary ANH Akhtar, now in jail as he is a graft suspect, had been dictating PDB's decisions that would benefit them personally, sources said.

As a result, the PDB in essence did not lead the power sector during the alliance government rule.

"But after the caretaker government took over, we were hoping that the PDB will finally function in the way it was designed to do. But till date, the ministry remains ubiquitous in PDB's affairs," quips a mid-ranking official.

An official of the power ministry said in recent times the promotions were being held back because the establishment ministry has referred to a recent notice of the ACC that demanded that all promotions and postings would be subject to the clearance of the ACC.

"The PDB argues that it is an autonomous body and its employees are not directly appointed by the government. But the establishment ministry says that it applies to the PDB as well," the official said.

An ACC high official said PDB officials also need the ACC clearance for promotion, because they are on the government payroll.

"The ACC may have around 1,000 files of government officials awaiting clearance. Due to lack of manpower in the ACC, it is taking time," he said.

Grievances are also high in the PDB because the ministry has become too powerful in its affairs. Though the ministry is not even empowered to promote anyone in the PDB, from early 2006 the ministry assigned a deputy secretary in the promotion committee of the PDB--who virtually decides who gets promoted.

Besides, the ministry also removed the PDB chairman from chairing its two companies. Whereas the PDB chairman used to head the boards of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) and West Zone Power Distribution Company, for the last one year the ministry secretary is heading them.

"Though the government talks about decentralising power, in recent years we see concentration of power in the ministry. That such concentration cannot bring any benefit is proven through the fact that we are severely lacking in power generation," said a senior official.

"If the ministry thinks that the PDB is unnecessary and they are smart enough to run the power sector themselves they can abolish PDB and run the show," he said expressing frustration.