Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) has taken up a project to install 0.2 million new prepaid meters in the Dhaka Metropolitan City areas.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding the project under the natural gas efficiency project aiming to reduce the misuse of gas and prevent bill manipulation through meter tampering.
The installation of prepaid meters will be started from January 2016 and completed in June 2020," said Animesh Chakma, Project Director of Installation of Prepaid Gas Metre for TGTDCL told The Financial Express.
The TGTDCL invited expression of interest (EoI) from eligible international consulting firms and joint ventures for consultancy services for installation of the prepaid gas meters. The consulting firm will design and prepare bid documents, carry out bid evaluation, monitor and assess project activities including construction supervision as well as provide advisory services for the project implementation.
JICA will bear 60 per cent cost of the project and rest of the money will come from state exchequer. The final agreement will soon be signed with JICA after appointing the consulting firm.
The new prepaid meters will be installed in Badda, Gulshan, Dhanmondi, Banani, Uttara etc.
In January 2012, the government formally inaugurated prepaid gas meters for domestic consumers of the capital's Lalmatia and Mohammadpur areas. It was done to reduce wastage of gas as part of its plan though the Titas had launched the pilot project in 2010.
In line with the decision of the Titas Board, a pilot project named 'Installation of Prototype Prepaid Gas Meters' project, was undertaken from the company's own fund.
Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation of the BUET provided the meters according to an agreement with Titas Gas on November 19, 2009 at an estimated cost of Tk 39 million.
Primarily, the project was taken for Dhanmondi. Later the project area was shifted to Lalmatia and Mohammadpur as per the decision of the Titas Board.
Under the project, 5,000 meters were purchased and state-run Titas installed 4,500 in the two areas at a cost of Tk 67 million.
Meanwhile, On May 20 this year, Titas Gas and Singapore-based Itron Metering Systems Singapore Pte Ltd signed a deal for the installation of 8,600 household prepaid meters in the capital's Lalmatia and Mohammadpur areas.
The TGTDCL, which is responsible for supplying gas to Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Manikganj, Gazipur, Tangail, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Sherpur, Jamalpur and Kishoreganj districts, has over 1.56 million customers.
Currently the Titas has 1.7 million customers. It has a plan to bring all the customers under prepaid meter projects.
After implementation of these projects, 0.213 million meters will be prepaid for 1.7 million customers.
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