Illuminating every house a great achievement: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday said bringing every house under electricity coverage is a great achievement of the government as she presided over the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting.

"It's a great achievement for us that we have been able to light every house," she said. The prime minister was chairing the meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the city.

She said her government has already materialised a dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by reaching electricity to every house. "Now, ours next and only target is to materialise another dream of Bangabandhu that none would remain homeless and landless in the country," she added.

The prime minister said it is enough to follow the footprint of the Father of the Nation to turn Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country and her government is taking measures to this end.

Sheikh Hasina also mentioned yesterday's inauguration of the country's largest power plant, Payra 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant and announcement of cent percent electrification by her at the meeting.

She said the achievement was possible as the ruling Awami League has been running the government for a long time after assuming office for the second time in 2009.

Continuation of democratic process is another reason to gain such achievement, she went on saying. The prime minister thanked the countrymen for voting her party to power time and again and giving scope to run the country for a long period.

She also greeted all the officials concerned for working with utmost sincerity to reach electricity to every house which was her electoral pledge to the people. The prime minister said her government has allowed the private sector to produce power to meet the growing demand.

Megnaghat 450 MW power plant and Haripur 360 MW power plant are the first such initiative built in private sector, she said, adding that the US-based AES (Allied Energy Systems) had built the plants.

The prime minister said that they had taken many measures in setting up power plants after assuming office in 1996. But unfortunately, she said the measures could not be implemented as her party did not come to the power in 2001.

After coming to power in 1996, she said that they had found only 1500 MW power which her government increased to 4300 MW. The premier said after coming to power for the second time in 2009, her government saw that the power generation had reduced further.

Noted that electricity is the driving force for industrialisation, she said they have reached the power to the remote char areas through submersible cables under the rivers or seas and solar panel system.

The solar panel can meet the demand of houses and shops, she said, adding: "But, national grid electricity is a must for industrialisation". She reiterated that her government has arranged electricity for off-grid hard-to-reach areas through solar panels.

Noting that once the southern region was neglected, she said her government has developed the region with construction of Payra Thermal Power Plant, Payra port, Payra cantonment, roads and highways etc which would also help fight natural calamities.

The prime minister called upon all to plant trees in large scale to face the adverse impact of the natural disasters.

Sheikh Hasina, also President of the ruling Awami League, said her party has been carrying out the campaign of planting trees in the Bangla month of Ashar from 1984-85 when the climate change issue even wouldn't have been discussed largely.