Burners already getting dry
Why gas tariff hike again?
Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Consumers are being forced to pay gas bill no matter gas burners turn dry most of the times in a day in wake of depleting gas reserve in the country.
Sources said an acute gas crisis has already gripped Dhaka city and its adjacent area creating immense sufferings to both household and commercial consumers.
A dip in temperature has aggravated the situation further.
When such a situation is prevailing, the government is once again going to hike gas tariff creating much discontent to consumers and rights groups.
Earlier, the country’s energy regulator said that the new gas rates will come to an effect from the very first day of New Year.
“The government has no moral and legal moorings to increase the gas price again when it fails to ensure uninterrupted
supply of gas for both household and industrial use,” Dr Shamsul Alam, Energy Adviser to the Consumer Rights Association of Bangladesh (CAB) told The New Nation yesterday.
He said gas price was doubled last year and the government is going to doubling the prices again. “We find no reason why gas rates should be raised when the companies are making hefty profit every year”. Their profit stood at Tk 1000 crore last. They may not incur losses even after paying enhanced salaries to their staff this year. So, I find no justification of fresh gas price hike on the ground of salary enhancement.
Dr Shamsul Alam said the government has perceived a faulty energy policy which forced it to increase energy prices time and again. The government policy has broken the back of the common man pushing them into sufferings.
“Still we are paying bills despite irregular supply of gas. My house remains out of gas supply for about seven to eight hours for the last few months creating various problems in our household living,” Jasmine Khan, a resident of the city’s Sankar area, told The New Nation yesterday.
She added that gas supply of her area has been woefully low between 8 am and 3 pm every day for the last few months.
“The government is going to hike gas price at a time when the flow of gas has dimmed apparently drying the cooking burners. This is arbitrary and utter violation of consumers’ rights. The government can increase the tariff only after ensuring the supply of gas. Otherwise, it should abandon the move,” said Jasmine Khan.
Justifying the gas price hike, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told The New Nation yesterday that a small segment of privileged people in some cities only use this natural gas, and they deserve a raise.
“The common people don’t use piped gas-they use LPG. Only well-off section of people consumes natural gas,” he added. Gas crisis has been reported in various areas of Dhaka city including Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Tejgaon, Jatrabari, Shewrapara, Kafrul, East Rajabazar, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kazipara, Taltola, Shyamoli, Khilgaon, Malibag and Rampura.
Admitting the matter, a senior Titas Gas official told The New Nation on Tuesday that a large part of capital Dhaka city and its nearby areas are now in the grip of a severe gas crisis as a result of supply shortage created from dwindling reserve and illegal gas connections.
Consumers are being forced to pay gas bill no matter gas burners turn dry most of the times in a day in wake of depleting gas reserve in the country.
Sources said an acute gas crisis has already gripped Dhaka city and its adjacent area creating immense sufferings to both household and commercial consumers.
A dip in temperature has aggravated the situation further.
When such a situation is prevailing, the government is once again going to hike gas tariff creating much discontent to consumers and rights groups.
Earlier, the country’s energy regulator said that the new gas rates will come to an effect from the very first day of New Year.
“The government has no moral and legal moorings to increase the gas price again when it fails to ensure uninterrupted
supply of gas for both household and industrial use,” Dr Shamsul Alam, Energy Adviser to the Consumer Rights Association of Bangladesh (CAB) told The New Nation yesterday.
He said gas price was doubled last year and the government is going to doubling the prices again. “We find no reason why gas rates should be raised when the companies are making hefty profit every year”. Their profit stood at Tk 1000 crore last. They may not incur losses even after paying enhanced salaries to their staff this year. So, I find no justification of fresh gas price hike on the ground of salary enhancement.
Dr Shamsul Alam said the government has perceived a faulty energy policy which forced it to increase energy prices time and again. The government policy has broken the back of the common man pushing them into sufferings.
“Still we are paying bills despite irregular supply of gas. My house remains out of gas supply for about seven to eight hours for the last few months creating various problems in our household living,” Jasmine Khan, a resident of the city’s Sankar area, told The New Nation yesterday.
She added that gas supply of her area has been woefully low between 8 am and 3 pm every day for the last few months.
“The government is going to hike gas price at a time when the flow of gas has dimmed apparently drying the cooking burners. This is arbitrary and utter violation of consumers’ rights. The government can increase the tariff only after ensuring the supply of gas. Otherwise, it should abandon the move,” said Jasmine Khan.
Justifying the gas price hike, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told The New Nation yesterday that a small segment of privileged people in some cities only use this natural gas, and they deserve a raise.
“The common people don’t use piped gas-they use LPG. Only well-off section of people consumes natural gas,” he added. Gas crisis has been reported in various areas of Dhaka city including Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Tejgaon, Jatrabari, Shewrapara, Kafrul, East Rajabazar, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kazipara, Taltola, Shyamoli, Khilgaon, Malibag and Rampura.
Admitting the matter, a senior Titas Gas official told The New Nation on Tuesday that a large part of capital Dhaka city and its nearby areas are now in the grip of a severe gas crisis as a result of supply shortage created from dwindling reserve and illegal gas connections.
