DHAKA: A total of Tk 9,544 crore has been given allocation in the proposed budget for FY 2012-13 for developing power and energy sector of the country.
The new national budget for the fiscal 2012-13 has proposed a total of Tk 9,544 crore for power and energy sector in the budget for FY 2012-13.
The government has made 5 percent allocation of the total the total budget, which is Tk 1,233 crore more than the last fiscal 2011-12.
Tk 8,311 crore was allocated in the sector in fiscal 2011-12.
The goal of generating additional 5,000 MW of electricity by 2013 was fixed in fiscal 2009-10. The goal has been fixed to 8,290 MW in fiscal 2012-13.
While presenting the budget, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said, “The demand for electricity has gone up substantially. The per capita electricity consumption rate has increased from 220 kwh to 265 kwh. We have, therefore, planned to produce 8,294 MW of electricity by 2013 in addition to our previous target.”
“A total of 1.30 crore subscribers have been brought under new connectivity network in the last three years. The percentage of population under the coverage of electricity supply has been raised from 47 percent to 53 percent. We have been able to add 3,300 MW of additional electricity to our national grid from January, 2009 to April, 2012, “he added.
Muhith said, “Agreements have been signed to install 52 power plants both under public and private sectors to achieve this goal. We are expecting that these plants will go into commercial production by FY2013-14.”
Moreover, installation of 30 power plants having capacity to produce 5,600 MW of electricity is in progress. These new power plants will come into operation by 2015-16.”
Regarding the energy sector, he said, “As natural gas is environment-friendly and less expensive, its demand has been increasing gradually.”
He added: “We have a plan to add 1,285 mncft of natural gas to the national grid by 2013. Now, we are producing 2,100 mncft of natural gas from 24 gas fields.”
Muhith told the House, “In order to explore oil and gas fields onshore at several points, 2-D and 3-D seismic surveys have been conducted.”
Meanwhile the finance minister said, “We have created a gas development fund to develop the gas sector. The ‘Gas Development Fund Rules, 2012’ has also been issued to make it operational.”
Besides, he informed that the government has been working to update the National Energy Policy. A draft Coal Policy has been framed and it has been posted to the concerned ministry’s website to elicit opinions from the public and also from foreign and local experts.
“The draft of ‘Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act, 2011’ has already been approved by the cabinet,” Muhith added.
BDST: 2005 HRS, JUN 07, 2012
Edited by: Maria Salam, Asst Output Editor / M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor
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