Major PDB drive against defaulters, illegal connections in Ctg region

Power Development Board (PDB) here launched a major drive against defaulters and illegal connections on Tuesday to realise Tk.200 crore to achieve revenue target for two months (May-June) of the current fiscal in Chittagong region.

A PDB team led by chief engineer Liakat Hossain Barobhuiyan, conducted the drive at the industrial units of Mohara, Kalurghat, C & B, Chandgaon areas under the Mohara Distribution department. The team snapped connections of 24 illegal HT (hyper-tension) subscribers on the spot and handed 10 people to the PDB magistrate's court.

PDB Chittagong region had an accumulated outstanding bill of Tk.222 crore, sources said. Major bill defaulters are Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Amin Jute Mill, closed Chittagong Steel Mill and several other government and private institutions and outstanding bill to them was around Tk.140 crore.

Officials said PDB set a target of Tk.685 crore to realise during the fiscal year (2002-2003). It could realise Tk.500 crore till April. The special drive was launched to realise the remaining Tk.185 crore by June, they said.

The number of subscribers in the region is 3.31 lakh. The officials, however, could not give actual figure of illegal ones in Chittagong. Till April, more than 9,000 illegal connections were snapped, Tk.50 lakh realised as fine during several operations and 1,800 cases were filed in this connection, sources said.