Informal gifts or payment in obtaining electricity connection in rural areas of the country is rampant and regular phenomenon, the Rural Electrification Board (REB) Chairman Major General (Rtd) Moin Uddin said recently.
He, however, said they were trying to stop this malpractice at the Rural Electrification Board (REB). "We have already punished some of our officials," he said.
"We have another 70 lakh people in our jurisdiction (who are in the line of getting connection). If we are able to provide the connections we can then solve this problem of malpractice," Moin said recently while replying to a question on the 'gift' allegation of the REB officials and employees.
The REB Chairman was replying to different questions at a press conference organized by the Power and Energy Division recently at Bidyut Bhaban to observe the 'Power and Energy Week.
The Power and Energy Division has announced that they will observe a three-day exhibition from September 6 to 8 across the country.
Since its inception in late 80s, the rural people made the allegations of 'gift' culture against the REB. Recently they have placed the issue before the commissioners of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) but nobody has paid any heed.
"There is huge load-shedding across the country. We have electricity but we are not able to supply it at the consumers end as there are some bottlenecks in transmission and distribution," Power Division Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus acknowledged.
