DHAKA: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) grilled chief Engineer of Power Development Board (PDB) over embezzlement of Tk 2,600 crore of Ghorashal Power Plant.

Deputy Director of the ant-graft body Hamidul Hasan started interrogating Chief Engineer Khaled Mahmud from 12:00 noon and continued till 2:00pm on Thursday.

A competent source from the ACC said they quizzed Khaled on allegation of embezzling Tk 2,600 crore in the name of re-powering Ghorashal Unit No-6. The anti-graft watchdog also collected necessary documents from the authorities.

According to the statement, the estimated budget for re-powering the project was fixed Tk 2,600 crore. 

But it was calculated that the cost, from land acquisition to power generation, will be Tk 6 crore for per megawatt power. 

According to this calculation, cost to produce 100-MW power will be Tk 600 crore and Tk 3,000 crore for 500-MW power.

But in this project, though there was no need of leasing land, development or basement construction, the cost of re-powering of 400-MW Ghorashal Unit-6 was estimated Tk 2,600 crore. 

BDST: 1615 HRS, OCT 23, 2014