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Awami League Presidium Member and former Industries and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said that the BNP-Jamaat government like other areas failed in energy sector as it was busy in making money instead of developing the standard of life. “As a result, an anarchic situation is prevailing in the energy sector, particularly in the power sector. The State Minister for Power himself admitted in a press conference that there is no possibility of an early remedy,” Tofail said.
The former minister also talked about other concerning issues in an interview with Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain. Following are the excerpts:
EP: How do you look at the present power crisis? Why this crisis situation?
Tofail: In fact, the government in last four-and-half-year did not run the country. Rather, they did whatever is needed to do for plundering the wealth of the country. As in case in the past this time, too, the BNP government failed in developing the power sector.
When we had taken over in 1996 we found an anarchic situation prevailing in the power sector. The deficit at that time was 600-700 megawatt. But the Awami League government overcame the crisis in two years by giving highest priority to the sector. We added 2,200 MW new electricity to the national grid and there was a surplus of 700 MW when we left power in 2001.
Not only that, there were projects of another 1,500 MW in pipeline when we left power. But the BNP-Jamaat government failed in continuing the projects pushing the country towards this disarray situation.
EP: How do you evaluate the performance of the Awami League government in the energy sector?
Tofail: I don’t want to go for self-appreciation, people of the country know it very well that we did in the sector. I can only say that the farmers, during our regime, had not to wait in queue all over the day for having diesel for irrigation. In our time, no farmer faced power crisis in running irrigation pumps. You know it well that generation in power plants and production in fertilizer factories did not remain suspended when Awami League was in power. I’m sure that no industrialist would complaint that production in his unit remained suspended for low-pressure of gas.
Above all, we overcame the power crisis left over by the previous BNP government. All these were possible as the government of Sheikh Hasina had not minimum lack in commitment for people.
EP: People suffered from power crisis during first two years of your government, they are again suffering from the same problem in last two years of the present government. Isn’t it the same?
Tofail: Certainly not. When Awami League took over in 1996 it inherited power crisis from the previous BNP government that failed in adopting positive initiatives to raise electricity generation as they at that time, too, were busy in fortune making. That’s the reason the crisis emerged in 1997-98. It was a crisis created out of failure of the previous BNP government.
During our tenure the picture was opposite. We succeeded in raising generation in the shortest possible time by taking emergency measures. At the same time we had taken long-term projects that added new electricity during the first two years of the BNP-Jamaat government. Even the coal-fired power plant at Barapukuria that came into operation was also initiated by us. Its operation delayed due to indecision of the present government.
EP: There are allegations that you before handing over power to the caretaker government approved some power projects in non-transparent ways.
Tofail: Keeping the future demand in mind, we had approved the projects with highest transparency. The BNP-Jamaat government cancelled the projects for political reasons. And now they are initiating the same projects and the now the irregularities are taking place. They are doing this only for their own interests. And the country is experiencing highest ever power crisis.
I want to specify. Like many other areas Bhola now remains under darkness. The Awami League government had approved a project for installing a 20 MW plant at Bhola, but the present government cancelled it. Had the project not been cancelled, Bhola would not remain under darkness now.
I can say that the present government cancelled the projects initiated by us for money. Now they are initiating the projects as they got the money.
EP: What’s your overall evaluation of the present state of the power sector?
Tofail: Industrialisation is taking place in the country, peoples’ lifestyle is also changing. All these phenomena raised the demand of electricity. Electricity is the prerequisite for development and poverty alleviation.
The present Prime Minister says that the power deficit is because of rise of demand. The demand will certainly rise, but generation has to be increased. We raised power generation by 2,200 MW during out tenure. What the present government did? I want to ask why they couldn’t add a single megawatt electricity in last four-and-a-half years.
An 80 MW plant has been set up at Tongi. It’s a peaking plant. The plant went out of order no sooner the PM crossed Uttara after inaugurating it at Tongi. People don’t get electricity from the plant. Huge financial irregularities took place in this project.
The BNP leaders are establishing industries, television channels one after another. They are purchasing bank shares. From where they are getting the money?
The government spent Tk 1,400 crore in power sector. What they did with the money? Where did the money vanish?
Do you know what they are doing? Knowing that there is no electricity, they are setting up poles for Rural Electrification Board (REB). They went for the pole projects as a certain “Bhaban” runs pole business. They went for transmission and distribution lines only to plunder money. They didn’t go for raising generation.
This government cancelled many projects as the successful bidders couldn’t pay bribe. That’s why now there is a shortage of 2,000-3,000 MW.
EP: How do you look at removing State Minister for Power?
Tofail: The State Minister has been removed. But, Prime Minister herself is the minister of this ministry. All the activities relating to electricity were controlled by the Prime Minister’s Office. The State Minister was a titular minister. And these kind ministers are kept for making them scapegoats. Iqbal Hassan Mahmood has also been made a scapegoat.
Interesting thing is that the government is claiming that there is no electricity crisis if they come to power again. Iqbal Hassan Mahmood himself announced that it’s propaganda. At a press conference Mahmood himself announced that there is no scope to come out of the crisis before 2008.
EP: There are allegations that Awami League, the main opposition party, did not wage any movement despite peoples’ sufferings for power crisis.
Tofail: You know what happened in Kansat. Had we built the movement they would say that it’s politics. Mass protests took place at Shanir Akhra. When we went there to express solidarity they said that we are doing politics.
It’s not the question of politics. We knew that people themselves will take to the streets for failure of this government. And that happened.
I think no government after the liberation was so inept as the present government is. No government was so failure, no government plunder so much of peoples’ money. This government set the record of making payment without doing any work.
EP: You must be noticed by newspapers’ reports that India and Myanmar intruded into our maritime areas and offered bids for oil and gas exploration.
Tofail: I told you earlier that this government has no minimum sincerity to protect the interests of the country and the people. So, it’s not unlikely that this kind of incident will take place.
EP: Now two big investment proposals are pending. There are widespread discussions about the investment of Tata and Asia Energy. How do you look at the proposals?
Tofail: Look, in principle we are not opposed to FDI, interest of the country goes first. I think a detail analysis -- that whether we’ll be benefited -- is required before accepting any FDI proposal.
Also, we’ll have to analyze whether people and resources will be affected, whether the local industry will be affected.
Above all, energy is now the most important thing of the world. So, before entertaining any energy-based proposal, we’ll have to keep the country’s energy security issue in mind. Specially, for Tata investment we should analyse the price and whether we are in a position to ensure supply of gas for such a long time.
I think that we should take any decision on FDI after analysis by experts. |