Battery charger manufacturing company AEG Singapore quoted around Tk 3.5 lakh to supply necessary material for a repairing work. Had the company been awarded with the work order, authorities concerned would have had to bear an additional cost of Tk 2 lakh.
However, engineers at state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) did the repairing work for Tk 160 only.
PGCB official said the microcontroller-based battery charger was purchased from AEG Singapore for 230/132/33KV Cumilla (north) grid sub-station of PGCB in 2010. Currently, its market price is around Tk 20-25 lakh.
‘On October 7, the battery charger developed a technical fault. So, another charger was installed. At the same time, when the PGCB approached the AG Singapore, the manufacturer offered a price with Tk 3.5 lakh to supply necessary materials.
Surprised over exorbitant charges, a five-member team of PGCB engineers, led by PGCB Executive Engineer (GMD, Cumilla) Jasim Uddin, came forward.
Ballal Hossain, sub-assistant engineer of PGCB repaired the fault using electronic parts worth Tk 160 only. The three others officials are Executive Engineer Md. Shabuddin, (SPMD, Cumilla), Cumilla Grid Sub-stations Engineer A K M Rezaul Karim and Sub Assistant Engineer Md. Bashir Uddin.
Executive Engineer Jasim Uddin told Bangladesh Post the Singapore-based company was suggest us to change the control card of the charger worth Tk 3.5 lakh excluding service and other expenses.
“Then we took initiate to repair it by our own and we succeeded.
The charger has been functioning smoothly for a month,’ he said adding that Sub Assistant Engineer Ballah Hossain gave main effort to it.
When contacted Ballal Hossain told Bangladesh Post, “After analysing the battery charger, we found no problem in the control card. Then we analysis in others parts and identified the fault in four resistors.”
“After buying the resistors from local market, we changed those parts. It feels happy to save money for the country,” said an elated Ballal.