Around 81% of the subsidy in the power sector is spent on capacity charges of rental power plants of the country, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna has alleged.
“Capacity charges amounting to Tk1,06,786 crore have been paid over the last 15 years under the Awami League government. Nearly all power sector subsidies are being channelled into the pockets of government oligarchs as capacity charges for rental power plants,” he said while speaking at a seminar at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Saturday.
Manna also alleged that the government is burdening the public with thousands of crores of taka to benefit these “oligarchs”.
Presided over by Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the seminar was also spoke by Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Central Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, former director general of Power Cell BD Rahmatullah, advisory editor of daily Samakal Abu Saeed Khan, Nagorik Oikya Presidium Member Mofakhkharul Islam Nawab, and Joint General Secretary Dr Zaheed Ur Rahman.
Speakers at the seminar noted that electricity prices have been raised 11 times at the wholesale level and 13 times at the retail level over the last 15 years in the name of reducing power sector subsidies.
They said due to a Tk7 increase in the dollar exchange rate, the government’s subsidy in the power sector will rise by about Tk5,000 crore, a burden that will also be imposed on customers.
The speakers also alleged that through rental and quick rental power plants, “the government has turned its oligarchs into owners of thousands of crores overnight”.
They also criticised the government saying that “it has granted indemnity to the power sector, enabling looting in the power and energy sectors”.
They argued that a special law has been enacted to keep the power sector out of the accountability of the courts.
