Avoiding repetition of 'Khamba' scam
No Ｒｅｐｅｔｉｔｉｏｎ　ｏｆ　'Ｋｈａｍｂａ Ｓｃａｍ
Shamsul Huq Zahid
The incumbent government, apparently, is trying to learn from the mistakes committed, deliberately or otherwise, by its immediate past political predecessor.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its last meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reportedly, sent back a couple of Rural Electrification Board (REB) projects involving expansion of power distribution line on the ground of providing inadequate information.
The Prime Minister was very much specific and clear on her stand. She insisted that no new project for distribution line expansion should be taken up without ensuring necessary supply of power. She, according to meeting sources, referred to irregularities indulged in during the immediate past BNP-led government in the name of power distribution line expansion in some areas under the control of the REB.
The BNP still carries the stigma of alleged irregularities involving the REB's distribution line expansion programme between 2001 and 2006. During the period, the REB had installed 75000 kilometre-long power distribution lines and doubled its consumer base to 6.0 million despite the fact it had no assured supply of electricity.
Allegations have it that some concrete pole manufacturers having strong connections with a section of highly influential quarters of the last BNP government managed to sell 1.5 million poles valued at about Tk 11.0 billion to the REB between 2001 and 2006.
Hundreds of those poles installed during that period still do not have any distribution line on them. And, in some cases, there are distribution lines but no power could be passed through those until now.
The people living in those areas, initially, were extremely happy to see the fulfillment of their long-pending demand for power supply. But the very sight of those concrete poles only irritates them now.
Along with the then ruling party leaders, the REB, too, had to share the strong criticism coming from different directions for the electric pole, popularly known as 'Khamba', scam.
One might wonder at the REB's behaviour in sending projects in question to the planning ministry despite its bitter experience with the same. But the Board has some explanation that could have been true even during the immediate past BNP regime.
Officials at the REB and the Ministry of Planning have confided to the FE that they have been under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including lawmakers, political leaders and also from ' general people' to erect new power distribution lines.
The involvement of general people in the so-called pressure tactics should easily be excluded for they usually bring their demands to the notice of the government through the elected representatives both at the local and national levels. There are yet another group of people-- the manufacturers of electric poles-- who operates behind the scene and try to use political connections to sell their goods.
The pressure coming from some lawmakers for building up distribution lines should be considered a natural development since they during electioneering might have made pledges to bring electricity to some areas of their respective constituencies. Failure to fulfil that pledge might cost them dearly in the next election.
But the policymakers sitting at the NEC meetings are quite aware of the existing power situation. They are trying desperately to beef up power generation through short-term and long-term measures. In the case of short-term measures, they have allowed installation of liquid fuel-based rental power plants in the private sector bypassing the much-acclaimed public procurement rules. The purchase of power from these plants, being quite expensive, would take toll on the government exchequer.
When the proposed rental plants would start making available power to the national grid, the government's priority task would be meeting the power demand of the industries that have been hit hard by the power shortage. It would take, at least, another couple of years or more to generate additional power for meeting the existing demand. However, much would depend on the progress in the implementation of plan taken up for the power sector.
Making available power beyond the existing network, though necessary, is not urgent, considering the government's limitations, both in terms of money and technical capacity.
Moreover, the implementation of projects submitted by the REB for NEC's approval involves a sizeable amount, more than Tk. 11.5 billion. The amount could be otherwise used for power generation, the main challenge before the government.
Finally, the NEC members and the Prime Minister in particular deserve kudos for being adequately alert to the dangers of repeating an alleged irregularity and also for looking at the issue in the right perspective. The people do expect the PM and her government to demonstrate similar alertness and firmness to rein in irregularities, if there is any, in other areas of the economy.
No Ｒｅｐｅｔｉｔｉｏｎ　ｏｆ　'Ｋｈａｍｂａ Ｓｃａｍ
Shamsul Huq Zahid
The incumbent government, apparently, is trying to learn from the mistakes committed, deliberately or otherwise, by its immediate past political predecessor.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its last meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reportedly, sent back a couple of Rural Electrification Board (REB) projects involving expansion of power distribution line on the ground of providing inadequate information.
The Prime Minister was very much specific and clear on her stand. She insisted that no new project for distribution line expansion should be taken up without ensuring necessary supply of power. She, according to meeting sources, referred to irregularities indulged in during the immediate past BNP-led government in the name of power distribution line expansion in some areas under the control of the REB.
The BNP still carries the stigma of alleged irregularities involving the REB's distribution line expansion programme between 2001 and 2006. During the period, the REB had installed 75000 kilometre-long power distribution lines and doubled its consumer base to 6.0 million despite the fact it had no assured supply of electricity.
Allegations have it that some concrete pole manufacturers having strong connections with a section of highly influential quarters of the last BNP government managed to sell 1.5 million poles valued at about Tk 11.0 billion to the REB between 2001 and 2006.
Hundreds of those poles installed during that period still do not have any distribution line on them. And, in some cases, there are distribution lines but no power could be passed through those until now.
The people living in those areas, initially, were extremely happy to see the fulfillment of their long-pending demand for power supply. But the very sight of those concrete poles only irritates them now.
Along with the then ruling party leaders, the REB, too, had to share the strong criticism coming from different directions for the electric pole, popularly known as 'Khamba', scam.
One might wonder at the REB's behaviour in sending projects in question to the planning ministry despite its bitter experience with the same. But the Board has some explanation that could have been true even during the immediate past BNP regime.
Officials at the REB and the Ministry of Planning have confided to the FE that they have been under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including lawmakers, political leaders and also from ' general people' to erect new power distribution lines.
The involvement of general people in the so-called pressure tactics should easily be excluded for they usually bring their demands to the notice of the government through the elected representatives both at the local and national levels. There are yet another group of people-- the manufacturers of electric poles-- who operates behind the scene and try to use political connections to sell their goods.
The pressure coming from some lawmakers for building up distribution lines should be considered a natural development since they during electioneering might have made pledges to bring electricity to some areas of their respective constituencies. Failure to fulfil that pledge might cost them dearly in the next election.
But the policymakers sitting at the NEC meetings are quite aware of the existing power situation. They are trying desperately to beef up power generation through short-term and long-term measures. In the case of short-term measures, they have allowed installation of liquid fuel-based rental power plants in the private sector bypassing the much-acclaimed public procurement rules. The purchase of power from these plants, being quite expensive, would take toll on the government exchequer.
When the proposed rental plants would start making available power to the national grid, the government's priority task would be meeting the power demand of the industries that have been hit hard by the power shortage. It would take, at least, another couple of years or more to generate additional power for meeting the existing demand. However, much would depend on the progress in the implementation of plan taken up for the power sector.
Making available power beyond the existing network, though necessary, is not urgent, considering the government's limitations, both in terms of money and technical capacity.
Moreover, the implementation of projects submitted by the REB for NEC's approval involves a sizeable amount, more than Tk. 11.5 billion. The amount could be otherwise used for power generation, the main challenge before the government.
Finally, the NEC members and the Prime Minister in particular deserve kudos for being adequately alert to the dangers of repeating an alleged irregularity and also for looking at the issue in the right perspective. The people do expect the PM and her government to demonstrate similar alertness and firmness to rein in irregularities, if there is any, in other areas of the economy.
to bright future..
