The Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company on Monday claimed that all the illegal connections that were identified across the country have been disconnected.
As many as 521,046 lines have been disconnected due to illegal gas usage from October 2021 to last June.
Titas disclosed the information with this information at a press conference held on Monday.
The operation will continue until there is an illegal gas connection, said the gas distribution company.
Titas says that from October 2021 to last June, 228 officers and employees have been brought under various punishments. At the same time 55 to 60 contractors have been blacklisted. In addition to illegal connections, 82,482 residential connections were disconnected due to arrears.
Besides, 447 more industrial, commercial, captive and CNG connections were disconnected.
Titas Managing Director Haronur Rashid Mullah said that Titas gas disconnected 308,498 in Narayanganj, 100,494 in Gazipur, 372 in Mymensingh, 12,774 in Dhaka South, 97,099 in Dhaka North. Besides, 82,482 connections were disconnected due to arrears.
Apart from this, Titas disconnected 644 connections due to illegal usage. Among them 250 in industry, 329 in trade, 55 in captive, 10 in CNG.
The managing director said that illegal users were found only by digging the ground, but now they are no longer found. “We have cleaned up a lot.”
He said that they faced obstacles from the general public during removal works of illegal lines but they got the support of public representatives.
He also said: “We have brought 228 officers and employees of Titas under various punishments. Eight of them have been dismissed.”
Mentioning that all efforts are being made to make Titas a people-friendly organization, he said that a total of 91 officials were transferred on Sunday.
“We have conducted many operations regarding illegal connections. The campaign will continue. We have done public relations. I said we need your cooperation to prevent theft. I have told them that after cutting the line, if the line comes again, the line in that area will be shut down. We got very good results.”
He said that from October 2021 to last June, 283,98 operations were conducted with 330 mobile courts.
In these operations, 668.50 kilometres of illegal lines, 602,884 stoves have been disconnected due to illegal connections and dues.
A total of 603,975 connections have been disconnected. Among them, 250 industrial, 329 commercial, 55 captive, 10 CNG filling stations have been disconnected due to illegal usage.
Through these operations, Tk321.81crore additional bills have been collected and Tk91.25 crore has been collected as fine.
Out of this, Tk147. 80 crore has been collected for additional bills.
Harunur Rashid Mullah said a comprehensive study was completed to replace the entire gas pipeline with new ones in Dhaka and Narayanganj to remove 600,00 leakages.
When asked about the system loss of Titas Gas, he said: “we have installed metres in the zones. Still could not separate system loss. Another press conference will be held in this regard.”
