As part of the government’s tough stance against illegal gas connections, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd. (TGTDCL) wants to recruit a magistrate permanently to accelerate the activities. The issue was recently discussed in detail at a monthly coordination meeting of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD).
According to the latest “Illegal Gas Connection Eviction Progress Report". Titas, has snapped illegal gas lines stretching for 996.81 kilometres in the last two and a half years, which is equal to 7.5 percent of its legal lines. It is disconcerting to note that despite repeated instructions of the Energy Division, TGTDCL has failed to disconnect illegal gas connections.
Drives must be conducted regularly
to disconnect the illegal gas lines
We have come to know that TGTDCL, the largest gas supplier in the country is accountable for most of illegal gas connections in the country. Government does not get any bills against these illegal gas lines. As a result, the government is being deprived of a huge amount of revenue from this sector. Titas Gas authorities cannot deny their liabilities for this disorder.
There is no denying that Titas officials do conduct drives to sever the illegal gas lines, but the problem is that there are unscrupulous people within the gas company who are involved in providing illegal gas connections.
Capital's gas distribution system has become a death trap over the years. Most of the gas pipelines in and around Dhaka are 30-40 years old and almost dilapidated. These gas connections and old dilapidated pipelines are not only responsible for the wastage of huge amount of gas but also such gas connections often lead to incidents of fire and explosions.
Taking all into consideration, the government should devise necessary measures to identity those corrupt officials involved in providing illegal gas lines and take stringent action against them. Also, drives must be conducted regularly to disconnect the illegal gas lines. Strong political commitment is needed to disconnect all the illegal gas lines in the country.