State Minister for Power Iqbal Hassan Mahmood has again rejected the demand for uninterrupted power supply to the country’s steel and re-rolling mills, reports UNB.

He said it is quite impossible to ensure uninterrupted power supply to any industry in the existing situation when the country is facing huge shortage of electricity.

The state minister made the remark when a delegation of the Bangladesh Re-Rolling Mills Association (BRMA), led by FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo, met with him at his Secretariat office today.

Earlier, last month, the power minister took a similar stance when a delegation of the same business group held a meeting with him and placed a number of demands for his consideration.

At the Saturday’s meeting, the re-rolling mills operators again placed the same demands that include reduction of electricity tariff for the re-rolling mills, withdrawal the demand charge, regularising the additional load the mills are now using and allowing payment of electricity bills through pay orders.

The re-rolling mill operators said prices of MS Rod and other steel products are on the rise due to frequent power outage, which seriously hampers their production.

“The melting process of raw materials comes to a halt when any disruption takes place in power supply…we have to re-start the process again. This increases the production cost,” said a leader of the re-rolling mill operators.

The state minister assured the delegation of accepting the demand for payment of bills through pay orders.

About the demand for reduction of electricity tariff, he said the Power Ministry has nothing to do with the matter as now the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has been entrusted with the subject.