Anisul Islam Noor :
House owners and tenants are at loggerhead over the increased gas tariff from the month of June, 2017 as many people know that there is a bar on the second phase gas price hike by the High Court.
Confusion has been created among the tenants about gas price hike Tk 900 for single burner and Tk 950 for double burner from June 1 as many of them do not know that the Supreme Court has cleared a hike in the price of gas in the second phase overriding a ban on it by the High Court.
The house owners complained to the newspaper office that the tenants are opposed to pay increased gas tariff with monthly house rent. They argued that the government does not issue any circular in this regard.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has extended its stay on a High Court order that stayed for six months a government decision
to raise gas prices for all consumers in the second phase that came into effect on June 1.
A four-member Appellate Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order.
After the top court bench rule, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, with this fresh order, there will be no bar to continue the latest hike of gas prices in the country.
However, people alleged that the government has been raising gas price though the gas supply is not satisfactory in many parts in the city and across the country. They said that they are not receiving adequate gas supplies despite repeated hikes in the tariff.
The gas price hike also drew flak from consumer rights activists, business entities and political parties.
On February 23, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) made a public announcement fixing monthly gas bills for one burner at Tk 750 and two burners at Tk 800 for households, effective from March 1.
The same notification said the prices will be hiked once again from June 1 to Tk 900 for one burner and Tk 950 for two burners.
Prices of Compressed Natural Gas or CNG, used in motor vehicles, also rose to Tk 38 per cubic metre in March from Tk 35. The BERC said in the second phase it would be revised to Tk 40.
On February 28, the High Court banned the decision to raise gas prices for second time after a petition filed by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).
The CAB had cited the BERC laws in its petition after gas prices were increased for the second time this year in February. The law prohibits the energy regulator from changing tariffs more than once in a fiscal year unless fuel prices change.
The court had also issued a rule then asking why the public announcement, which violates the law, should not be deemed illegal.
The state moved the Supreme Court’s chamber judge against it and secured a stay order on June 1. The chamber judge forwarded the matter to the Appellate Division.
The Awami League-led government in its two successive tenures since 2009 has so far raised the prices of natural gas by up to 221 per cent without ensuring uninterrupted supplies to the consumers.
In a litany of cascade effects of every phase of gas price hike, people have been forced to pay high in transport fares and commodity prices.
Interruptions in power generation, industrial productions and household cooking have been intensified while the queues of motor vehicles at the CNG filling stations getting longer over the period since 2009, alleged consumers.
In the budget speech in Parliament on June 1, Finance Minister AMA Muhith hinted at further hike in the price of natural gas to adjust the supply cost which would see a sharp rise after the import of Liquefied Natural Gas to begin from the end of 2018.
Since August 1, 2009, the prices of natural gas have been increased to Tk 900 from Tk 350 for single burner and Tk 950 from Tk 400 for double burner per month. The price has also been raised to Tk 11.22 from Tk 3.68 for each cubic metre for prepaid meter users.
Prices of each cubic metre gas have also been raised to Tk 40 from Tk 16.75 for compressed natural gas, Tk 3.16 from Tk 2.10 for grid-tied power stations, Tk 9.62 from Tk 3 for captive power plants, Tk 2.71 from Tk 1.80 for fertiliser factories, Tk 7.76 from Tk 4.19 for boilers in industrial units and Tk 17.04 from Tk 6.60 at commercial units.
House owners and tenants are at loggerhead over the increased gas tariff from the month of June, 2017 as many people know that there is a bar on the second phase gas price hike by the High Court.
Confusion has been created among the tenants about gas price hike Tk 900 for single burner and Tk 950 for double burner from June 1 as many of them do not know that the Supreme Court has cleared a hike in the price of gas in the second phase overriding a ban on it by the High Court.
The house owners complained to the newspaper office that the tenants are opposed to pay increased gas tariff with monthly house rent. They argued that the government does not issue any circular in this regard.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has extended its stay on a High Court order that stayed for six months a government decision
to raise gas prices for all consumers in the second phase that came into effect on June 1.
A four-member Appellate Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order.
After the top court bench rule, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, with this fresh order, there will be no bar to continue the latest hike of gas prices in the country.
However, people alleged that the government has been raising gas price though the gas supply is not satisfactory in many parts in the city and across the country. They said that they are not receiving adequate gas supplies despite repeated hikes in the tariff.
The gas price hike also drew flak from consumer rights activists, business entities and political parties.
On February 23, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) made a public announcement fixing monthly gas bills for one burner at Tk 750 and two burners at Tk 800 for households, effective from March 1.
The same notification said the prices will be hiked once again from June 1 to Tk 900 for one burner and Tk 950 for two burners.
Prices of Compressed Natural Gas or CNG, used in motor vehicles, also rose to Tk 38 per cubic metre in March from Tk 35. The BERC said in the second phase it would be revised to Tk 40.
On February 28, the High Court banned the decision to raise gas prices for second time after a petition filed by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).
The CAB had cited the BERC laws in its petition after gas prices were increased for the second time this year in February. The law prohibits the energy regulator from changing tariffs more than once in a fiscal year unless fuel prices change.
The court had also issued a rule then asking why the public announcement, which violates the law, should not be deemed illegal.
The state moved the Supreme Court’s chamber judge against it and secured a stay order on June 1. The chamber judge forwarded the matter to the Appellate Division.
The Awami League-led government in its two successive tenures since 2009 has so far raised the prices of natural gas by up to 221 per cent without ensuring uninterrupted supplies to the consumers.
In a litany of cascade effects of every phase of gas price hike, people have been forced to pay high in transport fares and commodity prices.
Interruptions in power generation, industrial productions and household cooking have been intensified while the queues of motor vehicles at the CNG filling stations getting longer over the period since 2009, alleged consumers.
In the budget speech in Parliament on June 1, Finance Minister AMA Muhith hinted at further hike in the price of natural gas to adjust the supply cost which would see a sharp rise after the import of Liquefied Natural Gas to begin from the end of 2018.
Since August 1, 2009, the prices of natural gas have been increased to Tk 900 from Tk 350 for single burner and Tk 950 from Tk 400 for double burner per month. The price has also been raised to Tk 11.22 from Tk 3.68 for each cubic metre for prepaid meter users.
Prices of each cubic metre gas have also been raised to Tk 40 from Tk 16.75 for compressed natural gas, Tk 3.16 from Tk 2.10 for grid-tied power stations, Tk 9.62 from Tk 3 for captive power plants, Tk 2.71 from Tk 1.80 for fertiliser factories, Tk 7.76 from Tk 4.19 for boilers in industrial units and Tk 17.04 from Tk 6.60 at commercial units.
