The government and non-government organisations and individuals owe about Tk 31.99 billion to the Power Development Board (PDB) and other power distribution companies.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Enamul Haq said this while replying to a question from Nurul Islam Sujon of Panchagarh-2 constituency during Thursday’s Parliament session.
Replying to another supplementary question from Comilla-8 constituency MP Nasimul Alam Chowdhury, the junior minister said that the government and autonomous organisations owe Tk 7.40 billion to the PDB and other power distribution companies.
In reply to a query from Lakkhmipur-2 constituency MP Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Enamul Haq said that as many as 55 power plants with a combined power generation capacity of 3,870 megawatts were set up during the tenure of the current government.
Besides, construction of 33 more power plants with 6,228 megawatts capacity was underway, he said in response to a question from reserved women seat MP Noor Afroz Ali.
Responding to a question from Feni-2 constituency MP Joynal Abdin, the state minister said that some 9.4 million people of some 50,000 villages were given electricity connection by installing 240,000 power lines under the country’s 70 Palli Bidyut Samiti (PBS, or Rural Electrification Cooperatives) units.
In reply to another question from reserved women seat MP Amina Ahmed, Haq said that some 536,000 applications were received for new power connection across the country.
Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, replying to a question from reserved women seat MP Shahida Tarekh Dipti, said that there were a total of 592 daily newspapers in the country.
Replying to another question from reserved women seat MP Ashrafun Nessa Mosharaf, Inu said that no-objection certificate was given to a total of 27 private TV channels. Out of these telecast of two channels remained temporarily suspended.
The Information Minister said that government was contemplating to formulate a guideline to regulate talk-shows in the private TV channels.
He further said that the present government gave license to ‘My TV’, ATN News, Mohona TV, Somoy TV, Independent TV, Maasranga TV, Ekattor TV, Channel 9, Channel 24, GTV, SATV and Asian TV.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said that the present parliament enacted a total of 222 laws in the last 17 sessions.
He said this in reply to a question from Ashrafun Nesa Mosharaf, a member from a reserved seat for women.
Source: Bd news24
