Titas Gas systems loss declines substantially
Friday, 8 June 2007
FHM Humayan Kabir
The systems loss of the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) has gone down substantially over the last few months thanks to the authority's vigorous drives against illegal consumers and bill defaulters.
Although the system loss of the gas distribution company was 7.07 per cent in December last year, it came down to 4.20 per cent in April.
Similarly, the bill recovery rate rose last month considerably, compared to any month in the last one year.
Some high officials of Titas Gas said that after takeover by the present caretaker administration on January 11, the company conducted drives against illegal consumers and bill defaulters over the last few months without facing any pressure from any quarter.
"Earlier whenever the inspectors went to any area to check gas connections, some customers with blessing of some political leaders created obstacles to doing the job. Sometimes they harassed our inspectors. But at present, the situation has changed," one of the officials stated.
According to sources with Titas Gas, the company disconnected 2588 gas lines of unscrupulous consumers and bill defaulters in April and 2311 connections in March.
The gas bill recovery rate has also increased substantially over the last few months. In April the company realised over Tk 3.72 billion (372 crore) against their total sale of gas worth over Tk 3.30 billion, the sources mentioned.
A high official of Titas Gas told the FE: "Regular bill payment by the consumers and disconnection of illegal gas supply lines have helped bring down the system loss of the company."
He added that the system loss in December last was 7.08 per cent, but it declined to 6.76 per cent in January, then to 5.71 per cent in February, 5.38 per cent in March and 4.2 per cent in April last.
"But the loss will have to be reduced further to turn the company into a top profitable public organisation in the country and to ensure best use of our natural resource," the senior official observed.
According to Titas Gas sources, the company lost 43.023 million cubic metres (mmcm) of gas in the form of system loss in April last against its 1024.737mmcm gas ready for distribution to the customers.
Similarly, in March the gas company lost 55.549 mmcm gas in system loss against its total 1032.847mmcm gas ready for distribution. In February last the loss of gas stood at 51.565mmcm against 902.386mmcm ready for distribution and in January the loss of gas was 68.557mmcm against 1013.44mmcm, the sources said.
The official, however, said that the drives against only illegal consumers and bill defaulters would not help bring down the system loss to a tolerable level, the company should also conduct drives against corrupt officials.
Some dishonest meter-readers and officials of Titas Gas have developed a nexus with some consumers. So the former just overlook the illegal connections taking monthly tolls or bribe for the latter, he opined.
The systems loss of the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) has gone down substantially over the last few months thanks to the authority's vigorous drives against illegal consumers and bill defaulters.
Although the system loss of the gas distribution company was 7.07 per cent in December last year, it came down to 4.20 per cent in April.
Similarly, the bill recovery rate rose last month considerably, compared to any month in the last one year.
Some high officials of Titas Gas said that after takeover by the present caretaker administration on January 11, the company conducted drives against illegal consumers and bill defaulters over the last few months without facing any pressure from any quarter.
"Earlier whenever the inspectors went to any area to check gas connections, some customers with blessing of some political leaders created obstacles to doing the job. Sometimes they harassed our inspectors. But at present, the situation has changed," one of the officials stated.
According to sources with Titas Gas, the company disconnected 2588 gas lines of unscrupulous consumers and bill defaulters in April and 2311 connections in March.
The gas bill recovery rate has also increased substantially over the last few months. In April the company realised over Tk 3.72 billion (372 crore) against their total sale of gas worth over Tk 3.30 billion, the sources mentioned.
A high official of Titas Gas told the FE: "Regular bill payment by the consumers and disconnection of illegal gas supply lines have helped bring down the system loss of the company."
He added that the system loss in December last was 7.08 per cent, but it declined to 6.76 per cent in January, then to 5.71 per cent in February, 5.38 per cent in March and 4.2 per cent in April last.
"But the loss will have to be reduced further to turn the company into a top profitable public organisation in the country and to ensure best use of our natural resource," the senior official observed.
According to Titas Gas sources, the company lost 43.023 million cubic metres (mmcm) of gas in the form of system loss in April last against its 1024.737mmcm gas ready for distribution to the customers.
Similarly, in March the gas company lost 55.549 mmcm gas in system loss against its total 1032.847mmcm gas ready for distribution. In February last the loss of gas stood at 51.565mmcm against 902.386mmcm ready for distribution and in January the loss of gas was 68.557mmcm against 1013.44mmcm, the sources said.
The official, however, said that the drives against only illegal consumers and bill defaulters would not help bring down the system loss to a tolerable level, the company should also conduct drives against corrupt officials.
Some dishonest meter-readers and officials of Titas Gas have developed a nexus with some consumers. So the former just overlook the illegal connections taking monthly tolls or bribe for the latter, he opined.