Government authorities urged the people to maintain austerity in consuming electricity and gas in view of the prevailing crises, failing which the situation could aggravate further, reports UNB.

Chief Advisor''s Special Assistant for Power and Energy Dr. M Tamim made the request at a press briefing held at Power Ministry Thursday. Power Secretary M Fouzul Kabir Khan and Energy Secretary M Mohsin were also present.

"It seems most terrible days are coming, but yet I''m optimistic," he told reporters. He, however, blamed the immediate-past government for the country''s present power and gas crises.

"Present crises in power and gas are the result of the last (BNP-led alliance) government''s failure and inaction in taking timely decision," said the BUET professor-turned functionary of the caretaker government.

When asked why he should blame the "last government" for the present crises, which sounds like previous political governments who always used to blame the past for the present problem, Dr Tamim said, "I''m just trying to present a situation which we inherited from the previous government."

He was found conservative in giving any credit to the previous government, but said the present government maintained continuity. The CA''s special assistant said the country is generating between 3,300 and 3,400 megawatts of power against a demand for 4,500 MWs.

The generation leaves a 200MW shortage due to gas crisis. But when his attention was drawn to the official websites of PDB and Petrobangla where the power-generation shortage was shown 728 MW and the gas shortage 211 million cubic feet (mmcfd), he said the gas and power crises in Chittagong were not included in his statement.

"Alone Chittagong area is facing a 420MW power shortage due to shortage of gas." He requested the power consumers to keep shut half of their air-conditioners and the bulk industrial consumers to keep off their operation during peak hours or use captive power to make do with the short supply.

"If one family keeps off one of their lights, it saves 50MW electricity in the city," said the specialist. Simultaneously, Tamim urged the gas consumers to refrain from irrational use of gas in their houses in view of the national exigencies. He said the present government has already added 100MW electricity in to the national grid and also would add another 1000 MWs by this yearend.

"We''ll sign agreements for another 1000MW projects for the next government." He said the present government has taken steps to enhance gas production by 250 MMCFD within next two years. Tamim vented serious concern over the increasing subsidy on power, gas and petroleum from the state coffers.

He mentioned that this year the government has to spend about US$ 4.5 billion on imports of liquid petroleum fuel in the current fiscal against $ 3 billion spent last year.

The subsidy was $ 1 billion in the last fiscal and it is likely to cross $ 1.2 billion in the current fiscal, he added. Similarly, the gas and power sectors are also getting huge subsidies. He said the subsidy should be reduced through readjustment of their prices.

"Otherwise, a time will come when all will collapse," warned the Petroleum Engineering Professor-turned functionary of the post-1/11 caretaker government. He said that, at present, the government has no plans to increase the price of diesel or any petroleum.

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