The Science and Technology Ministry is asking for a 30% additional allowance for all potential staff of the proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Company Limited as their jobs will be technology-intensive, official sources have said.
The ministry has already sent a proposal on this regard to the Expenditure Control Division of the Finance Ministry.
The decision to seek the extra allowance came following State Minister for Science Yeafesh Osman’s visit to the Rooppur project site in September and based on the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, the state minister said local scientists and experts would not stay in the proposed nuclear power plant in Pabna unless the salaries and allowances were competitive compared to the private sector.
“We will appoint staff and scientists for constructing and operating the Rooppur Nuclear Power Company; but the ministry does not want to set up a firm [to operate the plant] immediately,” he added.
Fixed expenses will be increased if the ministry sets up a firm before the power plant is constructed, Osman also said.
However, a local consultant firm or a group of consultants specialising in nuclear technology is expected to be appointed soon. Under inter-governmental credit agreement and general contract between Bangladesh and Russia, foreign consultants or a foreign consultant firm will also be appointed to supervise the construction and operation of the project.
Russian joint-stock company Atomstroyexport is currently working on the Rooppur project.
The fourth contract on the Rooppur plant, which was originally set to be penned in September, is now likely to be signed by November 15 as the Russian side has sought more time, the state minister said.
According to the Science Ministry’s proposal to the Finance Ministry, it has already taken name clearance for Rooppur Nuclear Power Company Limited from the Registrar of Joint Stock of Companies and Firms.
The proposal also reads that the ministry would get the licence for construction the power plant after conducting an engineering survey and submitting the findings to the authorities concerned.
A law titled “Roopur Nuclear Power Plant Act 2014” has also been proposed by the Science Ministry, which has also informed the issue of forming the new law to the ministries of public administration, finance, and commerce.
Under government plans, a total of 1,660 posts will be created in three stages under the revenue budget. At present, 49 employees are working on site at the Rooppur project.
The Science Ministry has already prepared a memorandum of association and articles of association to form the Rooppur Nuclear Power Company Limited with a paid up capital of Tk1,000 crore.
On January 14 last year, a $500m deal was signed by Dhaka and Moscow, to begin the preliminary work for the implementation of Rooppur project.
This includes establishing an information centre, several studies, engineering design, project site development, procurement of equipment and human resource development. Officials from the Science Ministry have said the company would complete the necessary steps by 2016, so that the physical construction of the first unit could commence in 2017.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the groundwork of the 2,000MW plant in Pabna on October 2 last year.
