Media reported 7,000 illegal gas connections being severed in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj, the day after residents of the district besieged Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company office with the demand of uninterrupted gas supply.
Officials claimed, it is to provide legitimate consumers with uninterrupted gas supply the illegal connections are being disconnected. And, that it’s a part of their regular drive.
An illegal gas connection is not something anyone can get whenever they wish. Titas employees are the ones behind this. The narrative of Titas authority is that, there are 30 thousand illegal gas connections in Sonargaon.
The situation in other upazilas of Narayanganj is not different from this. The question is that, who created the opportunities for so many illegal connections? Why the authority isn’t taking actions against the officers and employees involved in providing illegal connections?
Prothom Alo’s report says, local influential people in association with a section of corrupt officers and employees of Titas Gas arrange for illegal gas connections. In exchange of each connection, Tk 30 to 80 thousand are charged.
Visiting different areas of Sonargaon upazila, pipes of illegal gas connection were found coming out while digging at any random places, during mobile court drive. On 13 September, 7,000 illegal gas connections from different houses located within an area of seven kilometre, were disconnected. And, innumerable number of illegal pipes and risers were seized. Another source reports, there are 179 kilometres of illegal gas line in Narayanganj district alone.
Recently, an influential leader of the ruling party assured that the severed illegal gas connections will be reconnected if the candidate he supports wins the union parishad elections in a union of Rupganj. Under such condition, how will illegal gas-connections be stopped?
There are no use in conducting drives now and then just for the show. A businessman from Narayanganj said that people from Titas will benefit, if illegal connections are severed. They will earn huge amount of money giving new connections.
Not only for gas, illegal connections are being given for power and water as well. According to Prothom Alo news, as much as 30 per cent of the water produced by Chattogram WASA daily is shown as system loss.
On paper, Chattogram WASA claims to produce 480 million liters of water, but only 335 million liters of that reach consumers. Where does the remaining of the water go?
Here too, the officials of the agency are making money by giving illegal water connections. And the company is counting an annual loss of Tk 1.42 billion (1.425 billion). Where there is a system loss of 30 per cent in a service providing company, it cannot survive.
The issues of gas theft in the name of illegal connection in Narayanganj and the loss of Tk 1.42 billion in the name of system loss in Chattogram WASA need to be investigated. Legal action has to be taken against officers and employees, involved in these thefts through investigation. However, that investigation has to be impartial and fair.
Officials of concerned organisations cannot be included in the investigation committee. Let the attention of both the parliamentary standing committees be drawn towards this. Even if they don't have executive powers, at least they will be able to identify 'thieves'.