Coal policy, now a necessity-Minister says

Star Business Report

The government will finalise the much-awaited coal policy, to mitigate the acute power crisis, said the state minister for energy and mineral resources yesterday.
“There is no alternative to finalising the coal policy, as to prove to be a lower cost option for power generation,” said Shamsul Haque Tuku at a meeting with the Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh.
He however did not reveal the present status of the policy, which has been under deliberation within the government for the last few years. But the policy, which is required to develop the coal sector, is still in red tape.
The last caretaker government finalised the draft coal policy. But that government did not impose it, as it thought a political government should take such a decision.
The state minister said new gas and coalmines must be excavated.
He urged all stakeholders of the mineral resources sector to suggest the government how national resources should be used.
The state minister claimed the present government increased day-to-day electricity generation from 3200 MW in January to 3850 MW till yesterday. However, the last caretaker government increased electricity generation to 3900 MW in December 2008.
In response to a query, the minister said the present government is trying to add more than 741 MW electricity by July this year, based on the last caretaker government’s load management policy.
He said the present government is not responsible for the current power crisis. But the current government will not consider what happened in the past, he added.
“We will have to develop the power sector. Otherwise, the government will be blamed for the power shortage. That is what the past government faced,” Tuku said.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=82375
Date: 02 April 2009