State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit has said that the government will no longer allow publicmoney to be wasted on poorly planned and unnecessary projects, calling for greater scrutiny and evidence-based decision-making in futuredevelopment initiatives.
Speaking at two separate meetings held at the Secretariat on Thursday morning, the State Ministerstressed the need for efficient planning in both the energy and power sectors. The meetings focused on recommendations to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of energy and electricity demand, generation and distribution, as well as theevaluation and prioritisation of unapproved projectsunder the Power Division.
During the meeting with senior officials from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Mr Amitunderscored the importance of developing acomprehensive national mapping system for the country’s mineral resources. He said Bangladesh needs a clear, data-driven geographical framework identifying the location and potential of its mineral deposits.
He instructed officials to consolidate fragmented geological surveys, block maps and other resource data currently held by different agencies into asingle, modern and integrated database. Such a system, he said, would improve coordination amonggovernment departments and enable more effective long-term planning for the country’s underground resources.
The State Minister also emphasised the need for azone-based assessment of energy demand andsupply across the country. He urged officials to identify existing constraints without delay and determine the necessary steps to address them, while highlighting the importance of ensuring the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources.
At a separate meeting on unapproved power sectorprojects, Mr Amit heard presentations from officials on a range of proposed initiatives. He instructedthem to assess each project on the basis of its necessity, feasibility and potential contribution to meeting public demand before determining its priority.
Referring to what he described as the waste of public funds on poorly conceived and unnecessary projects in the past, the State Minister said such practices must not be repeated. He directed officials to submit comprehensive data and supporting evidence for all proposed projects before any decisions are taken.
He also instructed officials to expedite measuresaimed at strengthening the capacity of the power sector and improving public services.
The meetings were attended by senior officials from the Power Division and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, including Power Secretary Mirana Mahrukh and executives from various power sector companies.