The energy ministry has deferred its planned drive to remove all illegal gas connections and distribution lines for two days; it had announced the drive by advertisements in the media.
The drive was supposed to start on February 16 in franchise areas under the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, with the Titas authorities directing illegal subscribers to withdraw their gas connections before February 15.
“We will operate the drives strictly. On previous occasions, we had to postpone some drives because of obstacles from the public and illegal syndicates. This time we have taken two days for the preparation,” Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
He said the number of law enforcers involved would be increased to assist authorities during the drive, while district magistrates would also accompany the Titas teams.
According to Bangladesh Gas Act 2010, an illegal gas user can be given three months to one year’s jail time, and fines ranging from Tk10,000 to Tk5 lakh.
Titas is responsible for supplying gas in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Manikganj, Gazipur, Tangail, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur, Jamalpur and Kishoreganj districts.
According to Titas officials, around 250km of illegal gas pipeline and two lakh illegal connections have been detected in its franchise area, with most of the illegal gas distribution pipelines in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi and Gazipur.
These illegal connections consume 200 million cubic feet of gas per day, causing losses of several hundred crore taka for the government every day.
Some unscrupulous officials at Titas have allegedly been taking bribes to allow illegal gas connections to a large number of households under their franchise area.
Titas gas sources said an influential quarter of politicians from different parties, along with syndicates of Titas officials and contractors were involved in the business of setting up illegal distribution networks in Dhaka.
Titas Gas Managing Director Md Nowshad Islam said Titas officials had previously faced hurdles when they went to remove illegal gas distribution networks in the past.
“Sometimes my officials were assaulted,” he said, adding that the company had filed cases and general diaries with relevant police stations regarding these incidents.
Although thousands of illegal connections are yet to be disconnected, Titas authorities recently saw some success in removing over 11,000 feet of illegal gas pipeline in Dhaka and its adjacent districts.
After a three-year break, the government decided to resume allowing new gas connections on May 7 last year. However, the government later said the gas distribution companies would not provide new connections to households where the companies did not have distribution networks.