Dhaka: The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of 'The Power Bill, 2016' keeping a provision of harsher punishment of maximum 10 years jail and Tk 10 crore fine or both for carrying out any act of sabotage in any electricity infrastructure.

The draft law also has a provision for introducing independent system operator (ISO) to operate the country's power system in a coordinated manner.

The approval came from the weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the draft law has a provision under section 46 for maximum 10 years and minimum seven years of jail and fine maximum Tk 10 crore or both for destroying or damaging power infrastructures and establishments like power stations, sub-stations, power lines, pole and equipment.

He said the new law is going to be framed based on the original law that was enacted in 1910.

‘The new law has proposed translating the original law into Bangla as per the Supreme Court directives and adding some new issues to the existing law,’ he said.

Under section 11 of the draft law, Alam said, a proposal has been made for the creation of the posts of ‘Chief Power Inspector’ and other staff under the inspector of the Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, aimed at giving responsibility for primary inspection for providing electricity connection.

The Cabinet Secretary said a definition of ‘licensee’ has been added to the sub-section 18 of section 2, through which the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission will provide license for production, distribution and supply of electricity.