Anisul Islam Noor :Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources plans to make 70 percent households to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) instead of piped gas within next three years. State Minister for Power Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid hinted that gas crisis would not go way soon in the households as gas to consumption by industries increased rapidly. “We want 70 per cent of the households use LPG within next three years,” he said.Bangladesh is one of the countries in the world that has given natural gas connections in its residential areas. In the midst of this situation, “We are running out of our natural gas reserves,” energy experts said.In 2013, Platts Energy estimated that our reserves would be exhausted within the next decade, given that no new gas fields were discovered. The government has learnt to understand this reality, thus promoting the use of LPG as an alternative to natural gas for residential users. Going forward, policy decisions may even make it mandate to switch off natural gas connections to residential areas, sources said. “Our priority is to supply adequate gas in the industrial areas. We are approaching that direction. We want industrial growth through ensuring availability of gas in the sector,” Nasrul said.Asked whether government is preferring industries to the households in respect of use of gas, Nasrul said, “This is not that what we are saying. But changes are coming. Try to get used to the changes. Government is trying to make LPG cost effective for all, and also trying to keep the price under control. “The gas pressure is low now. But we will give the gas as much as necessary for you. This might take four to five months,” said the state minister to the industry owners.Answering to a question whether the domestic gas crisis is made due to giving importance to the industry sector, Nasrul Hamid said, it is not fair to compare the whole of Bangladesh with one or two cities. Most of the people of the country are using LPG, he observed. Talking about the ongoing gas crisis, minister said, there is a problem in the pipeline, and it will take three to four days to get fixed.At present six companies are operating LPG in Bangladesh. These are Bashundhara LP Gas, Total Gaz, Klean Heat Gas, Jamuna Sapecetech Joint Venture, Bin Habib Bangladesh Limited, and Super Gas (T K Gas).According to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the monitoring agency of LP gas mentioned that the private firms were importing 80,000 tonnes of LPG while the local production 20,000 tonnes a year against an annual demand for 300,000 tonnes.As a result, a mismatch has been prevailing in the LPG sector in the country due to imbalance in supply and demand. The LPG suppliers are enhancing prices in different times for making additional profits.Though the government has given license to more than two dozens of companies for processing and marketing LPG here, most of them are not working regarding it.The prices of LPG started from Tk1100 for 12 kg cylinder in the country. A five members family is required one and half cylinder gas for a month which means raised addition spent of Tk 1050 per month.
