Photo : Collected
Consumers have been consuming gas through more than 40,000 illegal connections for more than an era. In this, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company suffered a loss of Tk 629 crore.
According to Titas Gas sources, currently the number of self-confessed illegal gas users in the residential sector is 40,500. All these customers use double burner stoves. 24 lakh 30 thousand cubic feet of gas is used illegally in these stoves every month.
The current monthly bill per double burner stove is Tk 1,080. According to this, the loss of Titas against these illegal stoves is Tk 4.37 crore per month, and the annual loss is Tk 52 crore. According to that, in the last 12 years since 2013, Titas has suffered a loss of Tk 629 crore.
The ousted Awami League government has not taken any decision regarding these self-confessed illegal gas users in the residential sector.
These customers are still using gas at home without permission. Although Titas Gas Authority, Petrobangla and Energy Department are aware of the matter, there is no initiative to disconnect them.
In this regard, Shahnewaz Parvez, Managing Director of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company told The Daily Messenger that these self-confessed illegal residential customers have been using gas for a long time. That is why we are wasting huge amount of gas; But we are not getting money.
He also said that currently there are about 40,500 self-confessed illegal gas consumers. We will inform the higher level of the government about this. After the decision comes from there, we will decide what to do next.
According to Titas sources, the Awami League government passed the Gas Act in 2010 after coming to power in 2008. From July 13 of that year, the then government stopped giving new gas connections to the residential sector.
However, despite the government shutting down gas connections in the residential sector, massive illegal connections are provided with the cooperation of officials, employees and contractors of Titas Gas. From July 13, 2010 to January 2013, some 57,414 illegal connections were provided to residents.
Contrary to these illegal connections, in the financial year 2011-12, Tk 116 crore 86 lakh was deposited in the bank, but as it was not legal, the money was not deposited in the government treasury. Later, the government allowed illegal residential gas connections to be legalized in February 2013.
Time was given till June 20 of that year to legalize illegal household gas connections across the country. But there was no response to the government's announcement. Only 16,914 illegal connections were validated by customers within the time limit set by the government.
Meanwhile, after the fall of the Awami League government, the interim government intensified illegal gas disconnection operations across the country. Titas has the highest number of illegal connections among all distribution companies in the country.
Titas authorities disconnected 5,170 connections in the residential sector from September 8 to October 22. And the number of isolated burners is 14,050. The length of illegal pipeline removed is 28 km. Daily saving is Tk 5 lakh 5 thousand 800.
In this regard, Petrobangla Chairman Janendra Nath Sarkar told The Daily Messenger that there will be no residential connection, it is the government's decision. So I can't comment on this.
Messenger/Disha
