Anisul Islam Noor :
Dishonest Titas gas official are giving illegal gas connection in different areas of Dhaka city and nearby district towns. The government is, thus, being deprived of revenues of huge amount.
Contractors and a group of Titas employees are giving illegal gas connection for money. The gas connections have been given using modern technology and skilled technicians. It looks like legal gas connection, said Mahfujur Rahman, a businessman of Narsingdi district sadar.
He has paid Tk 1,30,000 for two connections. Titas employees and local brokers have taken the money.
Replying a question Mahfujur Rahman said, the connection was given in a broad day light and influential local political leaders were present at the time of giving connection in the vast areas of Narsingdi sadar.
In Keraniganj, about 3000 illegal gas connections have been given in last five years by the assistance of political activists who has collected extortion every month as like gas bills from the connected household, said Saila Banu, a resident of South Keraniganj.
Applying for legal connection, the people of different areas of Keraniganj suffered difficulties with the officials of Titas. As a result, the people are taking connection through local brokers despite knowing it illegal, said Saila Banu who is a teacher of a school of Keraniganj.
Same systems are working in Gazipur, Manikganj, Narayanganj, Munsiganj and Tangail districts. The sufferer complained it to media men.
A sum of Tk 256.57 lakh has been taken as additional bill or realised as fine in the first six months of the current fiscal from different industrial units which used illegal gas connections.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid stated this in Parliament that illegal gas connection would be disconnected within short time.
But the reality is totally separate. About 1.75 lakh illegal gas connections are till active in Dhaka city and five districts, sources of Titas said.
