Dhaka: The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of The Power Bill, 2017 keeping a provision of tougher punishment of maximum 10 years jail or up to Tk 10 crore fine or both for carrying out acts of sabotage in any power infrastructure.

The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the draft law also has a provision for introducing independent system operator (ISO) to operate the country’s power system in a coordinated manner as well as to ensure better load management.

He said the draft law has a provision of a maximum 10 years and minimum seven years of jail term or maximum Tk 10crore fine or both for destroying or damaging power infrastructures and establishments like power stations, sub-stations, power lines, poles and equipment.

Shafiul Alam said the new law is going to be framed based on the original law that was enacted in 1910 considering the reality of huge development and changes in the power sector till now.

The Cabinet Secretary said, any ‘licensee’ like PDB, DESA, REB willing to set up new lines or bring any change in the public works must inform the concerned telecommunication authority through notice.

Under the draft law, any employee violating its rules like giving illegal electricity connection, doing any faulty works as well as providing electricity outside the designated area will have to face maximum one year’s jail or Tk one lakh fine or both.

Besides, the employees involved in any generalised offences in the power sector which are not included in the new draft law will have to face maximum 6 months of imprisonment or up to Tk 10,000 as fine or both.

The punishment for power hooking in case of individual will be maximum three years jail, or double of the price of the stolen electricity or Tk 50,000 or which is higher in terms of amount.

For the industries, such punishment will be maximum five years jail, or double of the price of stolen electricity or Tk five lakh or which is higher in terms of amount.

The punishment for maliciously wasting energy will be maximum five years jail, or Tk five lakh fine or both.

Final approval to The Defence-Forces Chief Bill

The Cabinet meeting also gave final approval to the draft of ‘The Defence-Forces Chiefs (Appointment, Retirement and Remuneration and Allowances) Bill, 2017’ incorporating a provision of increasing maximum four-year tenure of the relevant forces’ chiefs from the date of their appointment.

The draft law proposed for increasing the tenure of defence chiefs from three years to four years.

The government is formulating the law regarding appointment, retirement and remunerations of the chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force as it has not been framed for the last 46 years.

As per the proposed Defence Forces Chief (recruitment, retirement and wages) Bill 2017, the tenure of the post will be four years with the provision of no reappointment.

Their salary has also been fixed at Tk 86,000 each which is equal to a senior secretary to cabinet secretary.

Besides, the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force will get other defense allowance, outfit allowance, special residential facility and all-time transport facilities as well as other facilities like civil servants of the republic.

Approval to The Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Bill

The Cabinet also gave the final approval to the draft of ‘The Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Bill, 2017’, ‘The Buddha Religious Welfare Trust Bill, 2017’, and ‘The Christian Religious Welfare Trust Bill, 2017’ after drafting those laws into Bangla.

The meeting also approved a proposal for ratifying the visa exemption agreement signed between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on July 14 during the visit of Sri Lankan President in Bangladesh.

Others

Today’s meeting of the cabinet also approved a proposal for declaring 2nd of February as the National Safe Food Day and inclusion it in the ‘Ga’ serial of the gazette notification of the Cabinet Division in this regard to observe the day in a befitting manner.

At the very outset of the meeting, the Cabinet adopted a condolence motion at the death of retired Army Major Ziauddin Ahmed, who was a sub-sector commander during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

Ministers, State Ministers and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.