The prime objective of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) is set to be hampered as the government will appoint an additional secretary of power division as its new chairman.
If the government goes ahead with its plan, the body will become fully dependent on bureaucrats.
On the other hand, the government is also going to appoint other members of Sreda from the power ministry, instead of considering expertise in this sector.
Insiders said Serda would require an expert workforce and a governing body to run efficiently.
Sreda was formed in 2012 following a government initiative to take a systematic approach towards renewable energy development. However, the organisation had witnesses little progress in the last two years.
Sreda was established for the promotion and development of sustainable and renewable energy, with the responsibility for efficiency and conservation of energy.
The tenure of present Sreda Chairman Md Abdul Wahab Khan will end on August 22 and Power Division Additional Secretary Tapos Kumar Roy is expected to replace him soon.
“We have already sent a proposal to the state minister for power to appoint Tapos Kumar Roy as chairman,” a deputy Secretary of Power Division told the Dhaka Tribune.
According to Sreda’s organogram, its governing body has 18 posts including chairman, 16 members and a secretary. Out of 16 members, five will be full-time and the rest will be without pay.
The full-time five members will be Sreda member for policy and research, member for energy efficiency and conservation, member for renewable energy, member for administration and member for finance.
At present, a joint secretary of power division has been posted as a member and a deputy secretary of power division has been posted as secretary of the authority.
The authority will also have 61 departmental posts, including directors, deputy directors and assistant directors.
On December 2012, the parliament passed the Sreda Act 2012 and on May 2013, the public administration ministry gave its approval for the seven executive posts and 61 departmental posts.
“The posts are very vital for the development of renewable energy sector. I hope that the government will appoint suitable and skilled person to build the organization,”Professor Saiful Haque at Dhaka University’s Institute of Renewable Energy Department said.
He also pinned hopes that the organisation will gradually solve the existing problems within the renewable power sector.