Drive against illegal gas connections -

In a major drive against illegal gas connections and unpaid bills between October, 2021 and June this year, the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) has made a stunning success, according to its managing director. As many as 603,975 gas connections to households, of which 520,402 were illegall, and the rest of unpaid bills, were snapped during this period. In as many as 28,398 drives including 330 mobile court operations, 668.50-kilometre illegal distribution lines were cut off and stored in TGTDCL warehouses. But this does not complete the picture of illegal connections. The company also snapped 400 industrial, 172 captive power plants, 466 commercial and 53 illegal connections. Massive malgrowth needed a massive surgery. But the Titas authority does not want to stop here, it vows to continue operation against illegal gas connections until the last one is eliminated.
Surely, this pours honey in the genuine customers' ears. They have not only suffered due to such illegal connections but others intending to take legal connections were deprived of the facility. The extra bills and fines realised during the drive is huge. Up to this point, the impression is that the major distribution company with 55 per cent share in gas distribution to consumers has more or less streamlined its system. But the question is, if this will sustain. After all, illegal connections are snapped only to be restored by the vicious nexus that waits for an opportune moment. According to the Titas MD's own admission, contractors are the main culprits and some dishonest employees within the limited company are also involved in this malpractice. It is plain and simple to see that without in-house collusion with the contractors, such a massive illegal distribution network could not at all be set up. This latest drive appears to be comprehensive enough but its success depends mostly on regular monitoring of pipelines and vigilance over contractors and employees maintaining official communications between them.
It is good to know that licences of 55-60 contractors have been cancelled, punitive measures taken against 228 Titas employees including termination of jobs of eight of them. Against the backdrop of severe energy crisis, such moves make sense but had the streamlining actions come earlier in preventing wastage of gas at the consumer level, the shortage of gas would not be so acute. In the absence of accountability, corruption was rife in the company in the past. One would assume that the phase is over and it will make preparations for discreet use of the available gas.
However, Titas is not the only distributor. Although it is the major one, others have a share of 45 per cent in the distribution system. They must clean their respective Augean stables as well in order to ensure that the precious limited gas gets its maximum use. In this connection, the discriminatory system existent in gas pricing should be made uniform. Whenever there is discrimination, there is a chance of bad elements taking advantage of it for advancing personal interests. The MD claims he has been doing everything to turn the TGTDCL into a pro-people organisation. Let him be successful in his endeavour.