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State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said Saturday that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Gulshan residence is supplying 1,200 units of electricity generated from rooftop solar panels to the national grid.
The prime minister is using around 1,000 units of the electricity generated by the rooftop system, while the remaining 1,200 units are being supplied to the national grid, the state minister said.
Shahe Alam said the prime minister had set an example by generating and using solar power. He said the government plans to install solar panels on the rooftops of government buildings to meet their own electricity needs and supply surplus power to nearby areas.
He also said electricity generation should be viewed as a business activity.
The state minister made the remarks at a review meeting on solar electricity, dengue prevention and development programmes at the Cooperative Building in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka. Local government officials, including Upazila Nirbahi Officers and deputy directors of local government, attended the meeting.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and State Minister for Public Administration Abdul Bari were also present.
Shahe Alam urged UNOs to remain alert at the field level ahead of Durga Puja and said no disorder would be allowed.
He also called on UNOs to use all available resources to ensure that the upcoming local government elections are free, fair and impartial, saying the government would provide necessary support.
He instructed local officials to provide financial assistance to extremely poor people in their areas if funds were not available from the Public Administration Ministry. The Local Government Division would arrange the funds from the revenue sector, he said.
The state minister said UNOs were supervising the implementation of major government projects at the field level, including the Farmer Card, Family Card and Imam-Muezzin Card programmes, as well as canal excavation.
He also stressed the need to reduce pressure on groundwater by increasing the use of surface water from rivers and ponds.
The government has separately allocated Tk 370 crore for rooftop solar systems at five types of local government institutions, with the programme expected to generate about 300MW of electricity.
