22.80 lakh prepaid gas metres to be set up

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BSS, Dhaka :The government has decided to install 22.80 lakh prepaid gas metres in the country aimed at preventing the wastage of natural gas.”The government under different projects will install prepaid gas metres to prevent wastage of gas during its use at different holdings,” Energy and Mineral Resources Secretary Abubakar Siddique told BSS here yesterday.He said consumers of the natural gas under these projects would get more financial benefits by using the prepaid gas metres, compared to their use in the previous system.Officials said 15 lakh prepaid gas metres would be installed in areas of the Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, while 4.60 lakh others in areas of the Karnaphuli Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited.Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited will introduce 100,000 prepaid gas metres, while Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited will install 2.2 lakh others. Besides, they said, projects are being implemented to install 2,00,000 prepaid gas metres for the residential consumers in the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited areas in Dhaka and 60,000 others in the Karnaphuli Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited in Chittagong.Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided finance for implementation of the two projects.Meanwhile, the officials said, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has already installed 9,100 prepaid meters under a pilot project in the Titas areas.They said the government has installed pre- paid metres in different areas on a pilot basis to increase efficiency in the household use of gas. Energy and Mineral Resources Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources took the projects to install prepaid metres for prevention of wastage of natural gas. The primary proposal of the project is now under scrutiny, an official said.

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