DHAKA: The government decided to go for gas rationing to ensure supply of fuel from industries to power plants in a bid to keep the problematic power situation normal during the month of Ramadan.

Under the contingency plan, the government will increase gas supply to the power plants stopping supply to steel mills and re-rolling mills along with the factories having big boilers from 5pm to 11pm daily.

These gas-guzzling factories have been asked to halt during the high-demand period of electricity supply.

Adviser to the Prime Minister Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury disclosed the belt-tightening measure to journalists after a meeting in the conference room of Power Division on Tuesday noon.

Chowdhury said, “The meeting discussed how to ensure maximum use of the country’s power and gas resources. The power situation should remain normal at the time of Ifter, Tarabi and Sehri.”

He, however, conceded that it is not a failsafe remedy against the usually nagging outages. “It cannot be said that the load shedding will fully disappear during Ramadan. But we are trying to bring it to tolerable levels.”

Meanwhile, Petrobangla held a meeting with the factory owners trying to save the situation. The owners were informed that they cannot run their factories from 5pm to 11pm, the adviser added.

The adviser said prepaid intelligence meter would be introduced after Ramadan to detect how much gas goes where. Initiatives could be taken then as per load pressure.

State Minister for Power Enamul Haque also told reporters, “The power situation will be monitored strictly during Ramadan.”

Among others present at the meeting were power secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Energy secretary Mohammad Mezbahuddin, Power Development Board Chairman SM Alamgir Kabir and Petrobangla chairman professor Dr. Hossain Mansur.

BDST: 1927 HRS, AUG 10, 2010.