A parliamentary body today asked power, energy and mineral resources ministry to take necessary measures to realise around Tk 1,600 crore from different ministries and government organisations as electricity bill arrears.    

The parliamentary standing committee on planning ministry in its meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban also recommended bringing down rate of system loss in power sector from the existing 12 percent.

In the meeting, officials of power division informed that different government offices including union parishad, municipality, city corporations under local government division are the major electricity bill defaulter as they use electricity throughout the night for road lamp stands.

The officials said many roads will become dark at night causing sufferings of people if the power division disconnects those lines due to bill default.

“Therefore we cannot disconnect electricity lines of those service providing government offices,” said a top official of power division. 

Committee member Muhibur Rahman Manik told The Daily Star that the committee was not pleased with the explanation of power division on realising electricity bills.

The committee therefore asked the power, energy and mineral resources ministry to take effective measures to realise the default electricity bill from the respective government offices. 

In the meeting, the committee was informed that system loss has reduced 5 percent in the recent times and rate of system loss is now stands at 12 percent.

Ruling Awami League MP Abul Kalam Azad presided over the meeting.