Amar Chand Gupta Apu, Dinajpur (South) :
Coal of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) is getting expensive as brick kiln owners have to buy coal from third party and the mine authority restricted coal selling on the plea of environment certificate while others can buy coal just with a trade a licence, said brick kiln traders.
Dinajpur Union Parishads of Parbatipur upazila Phulbari of Dinajpur sources said, 10 UPs issued at least 5,000 trade licences just in 3 days starting from December 17.
The BCMCL authority in a circular published in different newspapers on December 15 and 16, invited applications from coal buyers. December 21 was the last date for filing the application. Md. Shariful Alam Deputy General Manager Finance of BCMCL was the signatory of the circular.
The authority decided to sell 1,00,000 metric tonnes after a six months brake.
In the coal selling advertisement, the BCMCL authority asked just for trade licence, national ID cards and certificate of environment departments. But mysteriously they avoided the income tax, TIN numbers and vat papers as well this year, said the traders.
Mine sources said, nearly 5,000 applicants applied for coal and 3,000 of them applied just with a trade licence.
After a scrutiny the mine authority initially selected 600 applicants for selling coal and vary few of them were brick kiln operators, said a member of the scrutiny committee seeking his anonymity.
Owners of different brick kilns of different part in the country have been staying at the mine area for last 10 days to collect coal, but situation turned more grieved for them as there is not guarantee to get coal.
Most brick field operators in the country yet to start their coal season just for shortage of coal.
During a visit to the mine site on Wednesday , The New Nation correspondent talked with many people of different brick fields came to mine site from Joypurhat, Naogaon, Rangpur and Brahmenbaria.
Talking to The New Nation they alleged that the BCMCL authority cunningly changed condition of the circular for their personal gain. Under the condition any can apply, but brick field operators being harassed under various pretext, but they can buy coal easily from third party buying coal just with a trade licence.
“Its really irrational for brick kilns operators under the plea of environment certificate, which I have one, but they selling coal to trade licence holders who are ready to sell their coal to others’, said Nurul Islam of CBC Bricks of Brahmanbaria.
The brick field operators said they have to buy coal at Tk.27,000 to 30,000 each tonne from trade licence holders instead of Tk.12,000 from BCMCL authority.
‘Its a technique to force brick field operator to pay extra money, thus official and staff can be benefited financially’, the brick operators.
Contacted with Sirajul Islam GM Administration said they started coal selling after a long break and number of buyers also gone up. During the scrutiny the trade lisenc holders dropped out while the brick field and giant industries got priority, he said.
Coal of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) is getting expensive as brick kiln owners have to buy coal from third party and the mine authority restricted coal selling on the plea of environment certificate while others can buy coal just with a trade a licence, said brick kiln traders.
Dinajpur Union Parishads of Parbatipur upazila Phulbari of Dinajpur sources said, 10 UPs issued at least 5,000 trade licences just in 3 days starting from December 17.
The BCMCL authority in a circular published in different newspapers on December 15 and 16, invited applications from coal buyers. December 21 was the last date for filing the application. Md. Shariful Alam Deputy General Manager Finance of BCMCL was the signatory of the circular.
The authority decided to sell 1,00,000 metric tonnes after a six months brake.
In the coal selling advertisement, the BCMCL authority asked just for trade licence, national ID cards and certificate of environment departments. But mysteriously they avoided the income tax, TIN numbers and vat papers as well this year, said the traders.
Mine sources said, nearly 5,000 applicants applied for coal and 3,000 of them applied just with a trade licence.
After a scrutiny the mine authority initially selected 600 applicants for selling coal and vary few of them were brick kiln operators, said a member of the scrutiny committee seeking his anonymity.
Owners of different brick kilns of different part in the country have been staying at the mine area for last 10 days to collect coal, but situation turned more grieved for them as there is not guarantee to get coal.
Most brick field operators in the country yet to start their coal season just for shortage of coal.
During a visit to the mine site on Wednesday , The New Nation correspondent talked with many people of different brick fields came to mine site from Joypurhat, Naogaon, Rangpur and Brahmenbaria.
Talking to The New Nation they alleged that the BCMCL authority cunningly changed condition of the circular for their personal gain. Under the condition any can apply, but brick field operators being harassed under various pretext, but they can buy coal easily from third party buying coal just with a trade licence.
“Its really irrational for brick kilns operators under the plea of environment certificate, which I have one, but they selling coal to trade licence holders who are ready to sell their coal to others’, said Nurul Islam of CBC Bricks of Brahmanbaria.
The brick field operators said they have to buy coal at Tk.27,000 to 30,000 each tonne from trade licence holders instead of Tk.12,000 from BCMCL authority.
‘Its a technique to force brick field operator to pay extra money, thus official and staff can be benefited financially’, the brick operators.
Contacted with Sirajul Islam GM Administration said they started coal selling after a long break and number of buyers also gone up. During the scrutiny the trade lisenc holders dropped out while the brick field and giant industries got priority, he said.
