No formalin found in fruits sampled in 2019: Industries minister

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun told parliament today that Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) found no formalin or any other chemicals in about 600 samples of fruits it tested in 2019.

The minister announced the findings in reply to a query from Awami League MP M Abdul Latif from Chattogram-11.

In a written answer, the minister said that BSTI is operating mobile courts in a bid to curb using harmful chemical in fruits, in line with High Court directives.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today told parliament that the government gave Tk 52,260 crore as subsidies to the power sector in the last 10 years.

The junior minister was replying to a query from ruling Awami League MP Didarul Alam from Chattogram-4.

Nasrul said the average cost of generating one unit (kilowatt hour) of electricity for both public and private sector is Tk 13-14 (furnace oil-based), Tk 25-30 (diesel-based) and Tk 2.5-3 (gas-based).

On the contrary, the cost of per unit supply of electricity at the bulk level of the Power Development Board is Tk 5.82 and the average sales price of electricity at the bulk level is Tk 4.80.

Responding to the question of AL MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker from Naogaon-2, the state minister for power said that gas is currently being imported as LNG (liquefied natural gas). At present, the equivalent of about 590 million cubic feet of LNG is being imported daily.

In response to a query from Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam, Nasrul Hamid said that the amount of illegal gas lines in Dhaka metropolitan city, Dhaka district, Munshiganj, Narayanganj and Gazipur is around 2.45 lakh meters. In these districts, 121 sources of illegal distribution lines have been identified.