Cabinet body approves import of another 500MW power from India

Bangladesh will import another 500MW of electricity from India as the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase approved a proposal to this end. Finance Minister AMA Muhith presided over the meeting attended by some senior ministers who are members of the cabinet body, on Wednesday. Indian company National Thermal Corporation (NTPC) and Power Trading Corporation (PTC) will supply the electricity for 15 years. However, initially they will supply electricity on a short-term basis for one and half years and then for 13.5 years. According to the proposal, 300 MW electricity will come from Indian state-owned NTPC at Tk4.71 per unit (each kilowatt hour) on the short-term basis and Tk6.48 per unit on the long-term basis while 200MW from PTC, a public-private company of India, at Tk4.86 per unit for the short term and Tk6.94 per unit for the long term. At present, the government is importing 640MW of electricity from India at different rates. The rates are being fixed from time to time on the basis of the Indian market rates. Of this existing 640MW electricity, 250MW are coming from Indian government's eastern grid while 250MW from private sector and 100MW from Tripura state and another 40MW from eastern grid. The committee also approved a number of proposals, including Dhaka Wasa's contract award for a wet-field construction, import of 30,000 tons of phosphoric acid and riverbank protection. As per the proposal on the riverbank protection, Bangladesh Navy-owned Dockyard and Engineering Limited will execute a riverbank protection work project at the Jamuna River to protect sadar upazila and mass graveyards and other structures of Fulchhari upazila in Gaibandha district. The Dockyard and Engineering Limited won the contract at Tk295.5 crore through direct procurement method (DPM). The committee also approved another DPM proposal for the purchase of 192 double cabin pickup vans for assistant commissioners (land) under the Land Ministry. State-owned Progati Industries will supply the pickup vans at Tk96.56 crore.