RAJSHAHI, Mar 5: The activities of household gas connections have remained stalled in Rajshahi due to short supply of gas-connecting materials for a long time.
For this reason, the sanctioned fund for gas supply activities in the district was returned last year. Expectant consumers are apprehending, like last year, the sanctioned fund for this purpose may be refunded once again.
According to sources in Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited, so far, 19,800 applications seeking gas connections have been submitted in Rajshahi. As against the total applications, only 3,500 raisers have been supplied during the current year. As a result, new gas connection seekers in Rajshahi have become disappointed.
It is learnt that keeping in mind the elections of Rajshahi City Corporation, the government took a project to give household gas connections to the city dwellers from the first week of June, 2013. The job of procuring raisers for gas connection in Rajshahi was offered to Industrial Technical Service which has so far connected 6,200 households in the city.
Khandker Monjuar Hasan, a professor of Pathanpara area of the city said in this connection, as a divisional city, the number of allocation of gas raisers was too meager.
Sources informed, last year 6,000 raisers were allocated but there were no sufficient gas-connecting materials and the financial year has also elapsed resulting in the return of some 600 allocations of the expected consumers.
PGCL sources informed, the tender for supplying raisers was floated in June last year and after completion of the tender process the work order was issued in the second week of November and the contractors concerned started their jobs from November, 29.
Sources further mentioned, during the end of January this year a total of 1083 raisers out of 3,500 were lifted. From then, the activities of gas connection remained suspended. According to the allocation, gas pipe line of 62,500- metre was supposed to be installed but so far only 12,800- metre pipe line was installed.
Tofail Ahmed, Manager of PGCL, Rajshahi said the work on setting up raisers and installing gas pipeline remained suspended for short supply of required materials. Due to recurrent 'hartals and blockades', it was not possible to bring materials from outside Rajshahi. But, he hoped, within a short time, some materials will arrived from Sylhet and they would be able to start work within a short time.
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Materials shortage impedes new household gas connections in Rajshahi
Our Correspondent | Published: March 06, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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