Take immediate steps to increase gas supply to Ctg industries

The president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged Prime Minister's Energy Advisor Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury to take urgent measures to increase gas supply to the industries in Chittagong for the sake of the country's export and industries growth.
In an urgent letter Thursday, CCCI President Mahbubul Alam also requested Mr Chowdhury to solve the residential gas-consumers' sufferings in Chittagong considering the port city's contribution to the national economy, said a press release.
The chamber president said that Chittagong having a lot of industries and investments from both the home and abroad is a center-point of the country's economy and export earnings.
To sustain the existing industries and attract more local and international investments, gas is one of the major driven-forces; but, the port city's industries and residential areas have been suffering from severe gas crisis for long due to its inadequate supply, he said.
Against the daily demand of 400 million cubic feet of gas in Chittagong, maximum 200-220 million cubic feet is being supplied a day, as per the press release.
Mr Alam further said that lack of sufficient gas and gas connections has caused severe blow to the readymade garment (RMG) sector, CNG filling stations, real estate and steel and re-rolling mills there.
As a result, the entrepreneurs with investments worth thousands of Taka are encountering huge losses, damage of capital machineries, reduction of production and employment and loan defaulting, he said.
Moreover, the political stalemate in the last several months deteriorated the country's overall export-import and economic activities, the CCCI president said.
The Chittagong gas crisis appeared as severe just after the recently held National Elections. This deteriorated situation in Chittagong is a result of the measures that launched new gas pipelines and thus raised gas connections in other regions of the country, the businesses and consumers assumed.
Mr Alam also said that 38 mills have been shut down because of only gas crisis in Chittagong in the last 10 years. Though it is saying about the gas crisis in the country, other regions of the country were given 20 times more gas connections than that of the port city, the president said.
CCCI President requested the Prime Minister's Energy Advisor and other persons concerned to increase gas supply in Chittagong and reduce the residential gas-consumers' sufferings for the sake of protecting the country's economic interests.