State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Prof Rafiqul Islam yesterday expressed hope that power crisis In the country will he solved by fiscal 2003-04, report agencies.

Under the long term Vision Statement of the government, electricity will be made available at every comer of the country by 2020. he told Parliament replying to a question from Aleva Atroz (AL-women seat).

Regarding implementation of the power system master plan for a permanent solution of the power crisis, the state minister said that the government has so far taken initiatives to set up new power plants with a total capacity of 4.487 megawatts (MW).

Out of these. 2,238 MW of power plants will be set up through private sector and 2,249 MW under government initiative.

He said that since coming to power, the present government has so far raised power generation by 1.256 MW through public arid private sector Initiatives.

Besides, he informed, the process to set up small scale 10-MW power plants both In the public and private sectors, and solar and bio-gas power generation units is under Implementation.

On a supplementary from Prof. Mohammad Shahjahan of AL from SlraJganJ. Prof. Rafiqul Islam said the total number subscribers of power was 26 lakh tn the past. The present government has so far given connections to 12.49 lakh, subscribers which is almost half again over the number during the last regime.

Replying to another question from Shah Hadiuzzaman of AL from Jessore. the State minister for power said the recoverable gas reserve In the country was 10.06 TCF to be used till the year 2015.

On supplementary from Noor Mohammad Mondal. Razia Matin Chowdhury and Mohammad Shamsul Huq, Prof. Rafiqul Islam said the Petrobangla has signed a pro-

duction sharing contract with Unocal having a 10 per cent stake.

Referring to a news item published yesterday on the signing of PSC with Unocal, the state minister for energy said there should be no confusion that Unocal will not go for production within the next five years.

"The reality is If a market is available tomorrow. Unocal will go for production tomorrow." he said.

He, however, underscored the need for setting up new gasbased power plants, fertiliser factories and agro Industries to create a broader market for gas utilisation.

Replying to a supplementary. Prof Rafiqul Islam said that the present reserve of gas was estimated at 10.06 trillion cubic feet (TCF). which would meet the requirement till 2015.

The government however has no plan to export Cas. he said replying to Shah Hadiuzzaman of Awaml League.