JS panel suggests speedy approval of coal policy

bdnews24.com

A parliamentary panel has suggested speedy approval of a coal policy to tap Bangladesh”s coal resources to meet growing energy needs, reports bdnews24.com. The parliamentary standing committee on energy and mineral resources also suggested the ministry extracted coal from the country”s virgin coal fields.

“We need energy for development,” Subid Ali Bhuiyan, the committee chairman, told journalists Wednesday after the meeting at the parliament building”s media centre. “We have coal to meet our growing energy needs. Absence of a coal policy is considered one of the obstacles to extracting this coal.”

“Therefore, the committee has recommen-ded swift finalisation of the coal policy for proper utilisation of our coal resource,” he said.
The immediate-past military-installed interim government finalised a draft coal policy which provided the option for controversial “open-pit mining”.

The draft coal policy, prepared by BUET professor Abdul Matin Patowary, recommended that the government initiated an open-pit mining project in Barapukuria as a test case to see its impact on environment.

It also kept an option for coal export but made no mention of sharing of royalty between Bangladesh and the investors. The incumbent government has yet to decide on approving the coal policy, according to energy and mineral resources ministry sources.

They said the prime minister, who oversees the energy ministry, will see a presentation on the coal policy before giving her decision. Critics say the policy was aimed at making way for the British company Asia Energy to extract coal from Phulbari coal mine in Dinajpur through open-pit method, which would cause environmental disaster and displace thousands of people from their homesteads.

In 2006, at least two people were killed by law enforcers as Phulbari people took to the street demanding cancellation of the government”s agreement with Asia Energy. In the face of mass upsurge, then the BNP-led government announced scrapping of the deal with Asia Energy which reportedly released share bonds in the UK share markets.

But the interim government said the deal could not be rescinded because of “some difficulties”. Bangladesh has five coal fields-Barapukuria, Phulbari, Jamalganj, Dighipara and Khalaspur-all in Dinajpur and its surrounding districts.

Source: http://www.newstoday-bd.com/frontpage.asp?newsdate=7/23/2009#20659

Date: 23 July 2009, Bangladesh