‘Prepaid meter can ensure cent percent bill collection’

No alternative but to go to prepaid meter for a cent percent electricity bill collection, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said.

“We hope that Northern Electricity Supply Company will be able to go to prepaid meter next year,” he said while speaking at a seminar organised by state-run NESCO in the capital on Sunday.

NESCO is facing two problems--power shortage and dues, he said, adding that technology should be used to enhance customer service.

Companies must not only devise plans, but also set timelines. Besides, it is important to monitor whether the work is being done according to the timeline, the junior minister said.

Nasrul Hamid also expressed the hope that India’s Adani Power and Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will help solve the ongoing power crisis in the northern region.

Adani’s power import would start from March 2023 and Rooppur Plant would start power generation from 2024, he added.

The state minister said Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) needs to put more emphasis on supply of uninterrupted electricity.

“We are now in a much better than passing days. Although there were some crises, we have overcome them now. We hope to provide uninterrupted power supply in the coming years,” he added.

Power Division Secretary Habibur Rahman, Power Cell DG Mohammad Hossain, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) Chairman Munira Sultana, Former SREDA Chairman Mohammad Alauddin and NESCO Managing Director Zakiul Islam also spoke at the seminar.