346 illegal gas connections severed in port city

A vigilance team of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL) severed a total of 346 residential connections and realised fine from the offenders in the port city on Tuesday. The gas connections were severed on charges of using gas illegally for commercial purposes and bill arrears. The drives were conducted in Mohora and other residential areas of the city. As per Bangladesh Gas Act 2010, an illegal gas user can be awarded with three months to one year imprisonment and fines ranging from Tk10,000 to Tk5 lakh. While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Ayub Khan Chowdhury, managing director of the KGDCL, said: “No tolerance will be shown to illegal users and the drives against illegal gas use will be intensified further.” According to the KGDCL, the supply of gas to Chittagong is on average 250 million cubic feet against the demand of around 500 million cubic feet per day. The KGDCL is now supplying gas to a total of 597,662 consumers. Of them, as many as 593,574 connections are household ones while 2,788 and 1,045 gas line connections are commercial and industrial respectively.