Staff Reporter :
The Rural Electrification Board (REB) has demanded Tk 153.44 crore as compensation to supply electricity for irrigation at reduced rate, to REB official said.
“We are supplying per unit of electricity at Tk 3.85 for irrigation against the purchasing cost of Tk 4.26 from Power Development Board (PDB),” REB Chairman Moin Uddin said.
He said, the REB faces problems due to fund crisis in giving electricity connections during the irrigation season.
The outstanding amount stands at Tk 153.44 crore till November 2013, the chairman said. The REB has received Tk 150 crore to supply electricity
for irrigation purpose last fiscal. At that time, the demand for electricity under REB was 1600MW against the demand for 1800MW of electricity across the country, he informed.
“We have attained the capacity to meet 90 percent of electricity required during the peak-time irrigation,” he said.
The REB is now facing serious fund crisis as it incurs power tariff loss of Tk 0.23 per unit against its expenditure of Tk 5.92 per unit, considering the maintenance cost.
