With the illegal siphoning of gas continuing to inflict massive losses to the government, a Narayanganj lawmaker has urged the Energy Ministry to legalise unauthorised gas connections in the district in a bid to increase revenues.
“People who got illegal connections were not aware of its illegitimacy as they were convinced otherwise by a group of beneficiaries,” said Liaqat Hossain Khoka, the Jatiya Party MP for Narayanganj 3 constituency.
He submitted his recommendation to State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid on May 6 for legalising the area’s connections, which he said might bring in additional revenues of around Tk45 lakh monthly.
“It must be done because disconnecting the illegal connections will weigh on the lives of the people who were cheated,” said Liaqat, who is also a member of the standing committee on Power Ministry.
Liaqat added that the authority needed to focus on the maintenance of the faulty gas pipelines.
When contacted on Wednesday, State Minister Nasrul Hamid said: “The issue has to be taken under consideration and will be scrutinised further. However, no decision has been made yet.”
After a three-year break, the government decided to allow new gas connections on May 7 last year, but later said the gas distribution companies would not provide new connections in areas where the companies did not have networks. However, the government had then allowed illegal gas users to apply for legalising their connections.
Previously the state-owned Petrobangla had also made similar initiatives for legalising illegal connections.
Around 10,000 households are consuming gas illegally in Sonargaon and Rupganj upazilas of Narayanganj, courtesy of local Awami League leaders and contractors who joined hands to siphon from pipelines of Titas Gas and supply through an illegal network stretching over 50 kilometres.
An official of Titas Gas said the total potential monthly revenue from these connections was around Tk45 lakh, as each consumer had to pay Tk450 each month.
Household consumers of Sonargaon and Rupganj upazilas obtained the connections for Tk40,000-Tk50,000 each. Asked why they had paid such a large amount of money for illegal connections, locals said ruling party leaders and contractors had promised them that the lines would be legalised soon.
Meanwhile, a senior Energy Ministry official, seeking anonymity, said the ministry was not taking action against the illegal connections, as the consumers belonged to different political parties, while ruling party leaders had helped them get the connections.
To tackle the crisis, the government was now planning to legalise all connections, the official said.
Setting up illegal connections resulted because syndicates were formed consisting of Titas officials and contractors along with influential politicians from different parties, Titas Gas Managing Director Md Nowshad Islam told the Dhaka Tribune.
Earlier this year, after carrying out only a single drive against illegal gas connections, Titas Gas authorities stopped the initiative, reportedly because of the unavailability of police personnel and magistrates.
Late last year, the government legalised nearly 1 lakh illegal gas lines that had been obtained after the government stopped giving new connections in mid-2010.
According to Bangladesh Gas Act 2010, an illegal gas user can be given three months to one year’s jail time, and fined from Tk10,000 to Tk5 lakh.
According to Titas Gas officials, around 250km of illegal gas pipeline and two lakh illegal connections have been detected in its franchise area, with the connections consuming 200million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day and causing losses of several hundred crore taka for the government.
At present, the daily gas supply in the country is 2,250mmcf, with a daily shortfall of around 500mmcf.
