Stealing at Rampal Power Plant unabated
Prof. ABM. Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Stealing of materials of under construction Bangladesh-India-Friendship coal based Power Plant at Rampal under Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat cannot be cheeked in any way. Almost every day the valuable materials are being stolen from the construction yard of the power plant. As a result, this important establishment is incurring a huge financial loss. Some four thousand kgs copper coils, plain sheets, CI sheets and other valuable materials stolen from the power plant were seized by the members of the different law enforcing agencies from the different places during the last 6 months alone. At that time about 50 thieves were arrested. In spite of that the stealing in the power plant is going on unabatedly. The stealing of materials is not new. It (stealing) started just with the very beginning of the land-development works of the power plant. But the stealing of the valuable materials increased with the beginning of the construction works of its (power plant) infrastructures.
In order to stop the stealing of materials and tight the security of the power plant police, Ansar and private security personnel were deployed at the power plant with the government initiative. But in spite of that copper coils, GI pipes, iron pipes, aluminum sheets and other valuable materials are being stolen from the construction yards within boundary walls of the power plant regularly. It is learnt from the power plant authorities that only 450 acres out of total 915 acres of lands of the power plant were brought within boundary walls. Besides this, 300 acres of lands were encircled with barbed wires 3 to 3.50 feet in height. Within this materials of contractors (of the power plant) were kept. But the barbed wire of the encircled area is very week and feeble. Moreover, weeds grew in its interior and it has already become a jungle. As a result, theft incident is increasing gradually; it is opined by the general people living around the power plant.
It is learnt from the concerned authorities that RAB-6, Khulna arrested some 19 thieves from the different places and seized 150 kgs copper coils and huge quantities of iron pipes from them during the period from the month of May to September of the current year. On the other hand, the members of Ansar Battalion-3 of Khulna working in the power plant raided the different places, arrested some 23 thieves and seized various valuable materials worth Tk.33 lakh of the power plant during the period. The materials included 1 thousand 6 hundred 42 kgs copper coils, iron pipes and other things.
Chandan Debnath, Commander of Ansar Battalion-3, Khulna told, as many as 75 members of Ansar Battalion working in the power plant arrested as many as 23 thieves and recovered valuable materials worth Tk.33 lakh of it (power plant). But the number of the members of Ansar Battalion is quite insufficient in comparison with the vast area of the power plant. On the other hand, the river that passes by the west side of the power plant is unprotected. This river is playing a favorable role for the thieves.
Mohammad Shamsuddin, Officer-in-charge of Rampal PS told, members of the police and other law enforcing agencies arrested more than one hundred persons involved in the stealing cases of the different materials of the power plant during the last 2 years. Some of them after releasing from the jail are again involved in the theft. But at present stealing case is on the decrease in comparison with the past. Anowarul Azim, Deputy Director of the power plant told, the concerned contractors of the power plant were already asked to increase the security of their materials and all concerned should be alert to take necessary steps in order to check the stealing of the materials of the power plant in future.
