REB counts losses on political interference:WB
The Rural Electrification Board (REB) is incurring a Tk 370 crore loss a year as its Palli Bidyut Samities (PBS) have lost 'cooperative attitude' and are being governed by political directives, according to a World Bank-sponsored study.
The disparity in access to electricity between the urban and rural areas also increased; the rural people did not get any additional electricity from the national grid in the last four years.
There are 70 PBSs, of which, only three are making profits, the study found. The ratio of access to electricity between the rural and urban people now stands at 8:20.
The study on REB's financial and engineering capability and scope for expansion was conducted by Power Cell, the government think tank in the power sector, in collaboration with International Consultancy Company Infrastructure Services Management.
“REB needs to be restructured as it's a huge challenge for the country to reach electricity to the poor,” Country Director of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association of the United States (NRECA) Jems Foard told the news agency.
NRECA is a partner of REB both in financial and technical matters.
The study said due to political interference, the rural people got poles, not electricity, in past years.
“Electricity is a political agenda here. The demand for electricity was ignored by the REB because of political interference,” it said.
Once REB was a replica of Bangladesh in the world. It portrayed its golden achievement in rural electrification, introducing the cooperative system of USA in electrifying rural areas in the late 70s.
Admitting to the financial crunch of this organisation, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Enamul Haque said the REB needs to be restructured.
“The PBSs should be pro-people and the expansion of REB should be determined by the demand curve, not by local influence,” he said.
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