Sayeed Muhammad: In a latest move, the High Court has raised legal question about a government move taken on November 23 last year to increase power tariff at retailer and wholesale level. The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned as to why the decision taken by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), decision would not be declared illegal in four weeks.
An HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the order rule after hearing a writ petition that challenged the government move, reports UNB.
The energy regulatory body, its chairman and the secretary to the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry have been respondents to the rule.
Engineer Mobashwar Hasan filed the writ on Wednesday to challenge the decision. Jyotirmoy Barua, who stood for the petitioner, said the BERC held a public hearing from 25 September to 5 October last year.
According to the BERC Act to 2003, it was supposed to give a written order within 90 days after the hearing. However, without giving any written order, the government took the decision of hiking of price.
Much to the chagrin of consumers, rights groups and businesses, the BERC, November 23 last year, raised the power tariff by 5.3 percent or Tk 0.35 per kilowatt-hour unit on an average, a move meant for meeting to meet the revenue requirement of power distributors.
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