Illegal connections, re-connection of illegal lines, meter tampering and bribery in providing legal connections are major sources of corruption of the gas authority
Md Joynal Abedin Khan : The state-run Pertobangla subsidiary-Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has been incurring net loss of Tk 1017 crore annually for illegal connections. According to a recent survey of the anti-corruption commission (ACC), the present system loss for the gas company is above 6 percent for the illegal connections. Md Joynal Abedin Khan : The state-run Pertobangla subsidiary-Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has been incurring net loss of Tk 1017 crore annually for illegal connections. According to a recent survey of the anti-corruption commission (ACC), the present system loss for the gas company is above 6 percent for the illegal connections. The state-run Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) is yet to free from massive corruptions and irregularities that hampering the services to 28,74,848 consumers. Illegal connections, re-connection of illegal lines, meter tampering and bribery in providing legal connections are major sources of corruption of the gas authority in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munsiganj, Manikganj and Brahmabaria areas, experts said. The showing of artificial system loss, giving illegal connections to boilers and generators and changing category of customers are blamed for bar of service, they said. Some unscrupulous Titas employees in collaboration with some gas contractors gave these illegal connections, especially at night, in exchange for bribe, they added. The countrymen face difficulties in getting legal connections or legalising their unlawful connections because of a syndicate that does not benefit from legal connections, according to them. Repeated warnings against pilferage and illegal consumption of gas, the authorities has cut 99.72 kilometer and 40,165 stoves till January this year, reports of the website of the Titas Gas. However, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has 13,138km underground pipeline, 624km transmission and 12,514km distribution or service lines, in its network that covers Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur.Earlier, a survey conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has identified 22 sources of graft in Titas, including illegal connections, meter tampering. It also placed 12 recommendations, including introducing pre-paid meter, conducting surprise drives and imposing higher fines on illegal connection-holders, as well as taking action against corrupt officials.For example, as many as 118,455 illegal connections were found in Jinjira, Fatullah, Sonargaon, Narsingdi and Gazipur. But as those connections were not snapped, which has incurred monthly minimum loss of Tk 11.60 crore, the report said. Citing a report of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the planning ministry, it said around six percent system losses at Titas happen due to illegal connections.Investigators gathered information about illegal connection in suburbs of the capital like Savar and Ashulia as well as in neighbouring districts, including Gazipur, Narsingdi and Narayanganj. The rate of illegal connections is higher in industries than in households.Some unscrupulous Titas employees in collaboration with some technically sound people gave these illegal connections, especially at night, in exchange for bribe, the report said.People almost face difficulties in getting legal connections or legalising their unlawful connections because of a syndicate that does not benefit from legal connections.It said on many occasions, mobile courts disconnect illegal connections but those lines are reconnected at night in exchange for bribe, said a high official of the Titas Gas authority. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid assured proper action against the corruption but the vested syndicate yet to hit the threat of the minister.We have asked the Titas Gas authority to install EVC (Electronic Volume Corrector) to curb the meter tampering and system loss.In a query over the Energy and Mineral Resources Division’s (EMRD) deadline till December 31 to remove all illegal gas lines across the country, he said that several teams are working for cutting illegal gas connection. However, TGTDCL removed 620 km of illegal pipelines and disconnected the supply of gas to 309,159 stoves till December last year. A 73-year-old businessman Nur Hussain in the city’s Jatrabari never saw any official to inspect the gas lines in his neighbourhood in the last 39 years since he started living there. A high official of the Power and Energy Ministry, said, “Despite being the country’s biggest gas transmission and distribution company with 60 percent share of gas connections, Titas Gas authority has not any mechanism to identify any leakage from its vast network of underground gas pipelines.”This government-owned company acts only after getting complaints from customers about leaks in service lines or in household connections, he said. Energy experts said such complaints have been a common phenomenon over the years and it only speaks how badly Titas maintains its transmission and distribution lines.Professor Badrul Imam of Dhaka University termed the network of illegal gas lines nothing but a time bomb.He said it is the creation of Titas officials who are “more interested in corruption than providing service”.Professor M Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said, “People are suffering just due to the greed of those corrupt officials. Titas has turned into an enemy of the masses.”“We have to bribe them to fix the leakages and pay extra charge due to the rise in gas price. They are providing poor quality gas but feasting on illegal networks.”M Tamim, a teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said, “Illegal gas connections, gas line leakage, corruption blamed for hammering of customers service.”
