Illegal unmetered connection aided by the influential people is one of the barriers to reduce electricity system loss as identified by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the planning ministry.
In its report on Impact of Evaluation Study on 14 completed projects in the outgoing financial year, IMED mentioned that illegal unmetered connection and illegal meter by-pass under the behest of influential people are one of the causes for electricity system loss.
IMED secretary Suraiya Begum yesterday presented the report at a six-day workshop at NEC auditorium with Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and State Minister for Finance MA Mannan attending.
According to the report, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd (TGTDCL) drew up two action programmes – first in 1993-94 and second in 2001- to reduce system loss to 2%. But both the programmes failed before TGTDCL taking another initiative to bringing down the system loss to 2% by 2009-10.
The project started in July 2006 and was scheduled to be completed by 2010. But the deadline has been extended to June 2011.
For failure of reducing the system losses, the study also found other reasons, including low gas pressure, inaccuracy of the metering system and equipment and leakages in the distribution net work including customer service line.
To reduce system loss, it recommended replacement of the old distribution net work including customer service line after leak test, ensuring regular supply of gas with right pressure, reducing inaccuracy of billing system and stopping illegal intervention by influential people.
At the workshop, the IMED also presented impact evaluation studies for 14 completed projects in the financial year 2013-14. Of the projects, five projects have been evaluated by IMED’s own workforce and the rest nine by the out sourcing firms.
The IMED put forward number of recommendations to implement the projects efficiently and timely.
Planning Minister said projects under annual development programme should be evaluated accurately and scientifically for efficient implementation of the projects.
“We should bear in mind that it is public money by which the projects are implementing, so that we will not take such projects that breed wastage of money and time.”