The government has taken initiatives to address electricity shortages in rural areas, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood popularly known as Tuku told Parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to a supplementary question from Government MP Mostafizur Rahman Babul during the question-and-answer session, the minister said new transmission projects were being implemented to improve power supply, particularly in the Mymensingh region.
Raising the issue, MP Babul said electricity shortages had become a major concern in rural areas.
“When we go to villages, this issue embarrasses us and puts us in an uncomfortable position,” he told Parliament.
He said the peak-hour electricity demand in his constituency, Melandah and Madarganj upazilas, is 43 megawatts, while only 27 megawatts is supplied. During off-peak hours, against a demand of 38 megawatts, the supply remains limited to 25 megawatts.
As a result, residents are facing an average load-shedding rate of 34 to 38 per cent, he said, seeking to know when the situation would improve and uninterrupted electricity supply could be ensured.
In response, Tuku said the main challenge in the Mymensingh region was the shortage of transmission capacity.
“New transmission projects are being implemented to resolve the problem,” he said.
However, he added that progress had been delayed due to legal complications over land acquisition for installing large transmission towers.
The minister said the government had won a case filed by a landowner in the Bhaluka area over the Joydevpur-Shambhuganj transmission line, but full-scale work has not yet started.
He said discussions had already been held with the local MP and expressed hope that once the project begins quickly, the electricity crisis in the region would significantly ease.
