PGCL incurs Tk 90m loss annually

RAJSHAHI, Sept 25: Paschimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL) is incurring a loss of Tk 90 million annually as the income of the company did not increase due to absence of new gas connections in Rajshahi.
PGCL sources said in Rajshahi city, gas connections through pipelines were given from 2012 to 2015 to only 9,157 household consumers and only in 11 industries. But from February 16, 2016, providing new gas connection was suspended.
Meanwhile, more than 21,500 applications seeking new gas connections have been submitted to the local office of PGCL.
Sources in PGCL said the company could not be made profitable unless the misuse of gas is stopped and new connections are given.
Mahmuda Begum, a housewife of Panchaboti area under Ward-23, said she submitted application for household gas connection to PGCL some three-year ago but no one at the PGCL could say when the gas connection will be available.
Hasina, another house wife from Tikapara area, said due to absence of pipeline gas connection, people were using fire-wood or Kerosene as fuel which is causing damage to the environment.
Moreover, those who are financially solvent were purchasing cooking gas-cylinder which is costly and risky to use.
Liakat Ali, president of Bangladesh Silk Industry Owners' Association, said the trade and commerce in Rajshahi could not be flourished due to non- availability of gas connection through pipeline. Even, only less than 10,000 city houses have been connected with pipeline gas. As there is no procedure to check wastage of gas, PGCL was incurring loss., he said
The income earned from the gas consumers in Rajshahi is not sufficient enough to meet salaries, rents, allowances and other costs of PGCL. To minimise the loss of PGCL, at least 25,000 more gas connections are required to be given, he said.
Engr AFM Azad Kamal, manager of PGCL, Rajshahi informed the company has set up only 270.15 km of gas pipeline to supply gas to 9,157 consumers.
The pipeline contains a capacity of supplying 15 million cubic feet of gas whereas due to absence of new connections, only 3.25 million cubic feet of gas is supplied to the city consumers.
He further said in paying salaries and allowances of officials and employees and in repaying interest of Tk 1.08 billion (Tk108 crore) project implementation cost of PGCL, Tk 110 million is required every year. But the annual income from the consumers of gas is Tk 20 million.
As a result the company was incurring Tk 90 million loss annually.
Zamat Khan, general secretary of Rajshahi Raskha Sangram Parishad, said the PGCL took up the project of gas supply through pipeline in Rajshahi in 2009 after a continuous movement of people of Rajshahi demanding to connect Rajshahi with gas supply pipeline.
But, after connecting 11 industries and 9,000 houses, the pipeline gas supply connection for industries was suspended from July11, 2012 and to the household from July 2015.
He urged the authority concerned to restart gas connection to houses and industries of Rajshahi as soon as possible.

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