& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Energy ministry asked to decide on PSC with lOCs

UNB, Dhaka
Energy Ministry has been asked to take decision on signing of production sharing contract (PSC) with the selected bidders under the recently invited 3rd round offshore bidding.
Advisers Committee on Public Purchase, which is known as Cabinet Purchase Committee, yesterday gave the directive when the Energy Ministry placed a proposal seeking its approval to sign PSC with the selected international oil companies (lOCs).
"After considering all relevant documents, we've reached a conclusion that the Model PSC was earlier approved by the Cabinet and there is no cost involvement of the government in this stage of the contract. So, our opinion is that the concerned ministry can take decision to sign contract on its own,” said Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, who presided over the meeting.
Replying to a question on
the objection informally raised by neighboring India and Myanmar about Bangladesh's hydrocarbon exploration before settling the maritime boundary issue, he said, "The issue was not the subject of the committee. But sensing this issue, we advised Energy Ministry, if necessary, they can take the opinion of any other ministry like Ministry of Foreign Affairs before signing the contracts."
The government in May last received bids from 7 lOCs for 15 offshore blocks, out of total 28, after invitation of international tender.
Finally, two lOCs were came out as responsive bidders for a total of 9 blocks.
Of them, US-based ConocoPhilip emerged as responsive for 8 Blocks - block 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17,18, 20, while Tullow appeared responsive for block 5.
The caretaker government invited the international bidding for hydrocarbon exploration as the country has been
experiencing huge gas crisis.
The Cabinet Purchase Committee also approved a Tk 6.41 crore tender proposal for earth filling works of the central jail construction project at Keraniganj and another proposal for appointment of a consultancy firm at a cost of Tk 17.99 crore for hospital upgradation project at upazila level.
Another proposal of the Agriculture Ministry to import 1,00,000 tonnes of MOP fertiliser from Belarus government got approval of the committee.
The committee asked the Ministry of Communication to take the opinion of the Law Ministry about a tender proposal for upgrading the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway from 2 lanes to 4 lanes.
The committee also asked Agriculture Ministry to thoroughly analyse its proposal for appointment of a consultant for the Bangladesh Agribusiness Development \Project and then send it to the cabinet committee.