A high powered meeting at the ministry of power yesterday decided to ask the operators of large shopping malls not to use government supplied power during peak hours from 6pm to 10pm.

"We will encourage shopping centres to immediately start the use of their own captive power during the peak hours. If they do not heed the government's call, we will stop the supply to them," Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, state minister for power, told the newsmen after the meeting.

He said the restriction is necessary because ensuring an uninterrupted power supply particularly for the sake of SSC and HSC examinees - will be impossible in the present situation.

The power ministry estimates that about 600 megawatts of electricity from the present consumption level could be saved in the evening if super markets and shop owners operate with their own generators.

The business community, however, expressed surprise over the government decision, claiming it was taken without their consultation.

"We are ready to comply with the government's decision but it would have been better had they discussed it with us prior to taking it," said Mohammad Jamal Uddin, a businessman in the city's Nwabpur area.

He said shop owners, who normally keep their shutters open until 8 pm to 9 pm, would find it difficult to run their businesses if the electricity supply remains cut-off after 6 pm.

He observed that the government should give some incentives to shop owners to encourage them to implement the restrictions.

The present level of load shedding is the inevitable result of the government's failure to set up any new major power plant in the last three years. Even though the present scenario was projected last year, the government on political reasons cancelled the 450 megawatt Sirajganj power project, which was in the final stage. It also suspended in 2001 the 210 megawatt Khulna power project and a 150 megawatt Sylhet power project.

A few projects now in the pipeline, meanwhile, are stumbling because of bureaucratic tangles, allegations of corruption or the selection of incompetent developers.

The country has been experiencing acute power shortages--ranging between 500 mw and 900 mwsince February. Officials forecast it will go up to 1000 megawatt in the summer, when the demand will exceed 4000 mw from the present level of 3700 mw.

The high powered meeting also decided to implement a load-management plan through introducing "holiday staggering" for shopping malls and industrial units.

As per the plan, the areas of Dhaka and adjoining Narayanganj cities will be divided into seven zones and shopping malls of all but one will be asked to shut down their shops after 6:00 pmthe start of peak hours. The shopping centres of the lone zone would be allowed to remain open during the peak hours once a week. Auto devices would be introduced in the electricity connections of the shopping centres to control the peak-hour supply.

On the other hand, the weekly holidays of industrial units would be staggered: in the zoning system, industrial plants of the areas would enjoy weekly holidays on any fixed alternative day instead of the present weekend on Friday. The same contingency plan would apply to other cities as well.

The state minister claimed about 300 mw of electricity could be saved from Dhaka city alone if the holiday-staggering plan goes through. "This will ensure a quality power supply as well," he said.

The power minister said the proposed plan would be discussed with representatives of the leading chambers and business bodies.

At the meeting, a three-member technical committee, comprising representatives of the Power Development Board (PDB), the Rural Electrification Board (REB) and the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), was formed to address the low-voltage problem, which poses a severe problem in running irrigation pumps in the rural areas.

As it is currently the prime time for farming irrigated paddy, which has emerged as the main crop in the country, irrigation disruption could prove telling on rice production.

Besides, another high-level committee was formed with the secretary of the power division as its head to monitor the power-generation and supply situation across the country.

The committee would report to the power minister and the Prime Minister about the daily situation.

As per the decision of the meeting, PDB, DESA, DESCO and REB would launch a drive "immediately" to snap illegal electricity connections.

With the State Minister for Power, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, in the chair, the meeting was attended by top officials of the PDB, the Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA), the Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO), REB and PGCB.