‘100% electricity coverage within 3-4 yrs’

The country will come under the 100 per cent electricity coverage within the next three to four years, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today told the parliament.

In reply to a supplementary query from BNP MP Harunur Rashid (Chapai Nawabganj-3) during the question-answer session in parliament, the junior minister said: “100 percent electricity coverage will be ensured throughout the country within the next three to four years.”

Nasrul Hamid said it took 50 years for South Korea to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in their country. “But it’ll not take so much time for us to do so,” he said.

In reply to a question from BNP MP Gulam Mohammad Siraj (Bogura-6), Nasrul Hamid said the present government increased prices of electricity on six occasions in the last 10 years.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today in parliament said the government has so far given permission to total 45 television channels. Of them, 30 ones are now in operation.

He placed a list of 45 television channels in reply to a written question from Awami League MP Ahasanul Islam Titu (Tangail-6).

Among the rest channels, 11 television channels are now awaiting telecast, while four others have yet to get frequency allocations according to the list.

The 11 television channels are TV Today (owned by Abu Bashar Mohammad Raqibul Baset), Spice TV (Shila Islam), Prime TV (Tanjia Siraj), Citizen TV (Md Shafiqur Rahman), Global TV (Mamunur Rashid Kiron MP), Amar TV (Zinat Chowdhury), Khela TV (Tanvir Abir), Titas TV (Dhanad Islan Deepta), Rangdhunu TV (Mohammad Saiful Alam), Utasab TV ( Nur Mohammad) and Channel 21 (Abdullah Al Mamun).        

The four channels that yet to get frequency allocation are Cambrian TV (owned by Lion MK Bashar), Green TV (Syed Golam Dastagir), Amar Gaan (Tarun Dey) and Channel 52 (Morshed Alam).

Earlier, the House went into sitting at 4:20pm with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.