Titas to remove illegal connections by June next

The government has planned to replace decades-old gas transmission and distribution pipelines with the new ones in the capital to check pilferage, avoid leakage and ensure efficient use of natural gas.
"Titas Gas will execute a big project worth Tk 1,200 crore (12 billion) to remove old pipelines and lay fresh ones," state minister for power, energy and mineral resources (MPEMR) Nasrul Hamid said.
Once executed, he said the project could remove all illegal gas connections and check pilferage, if any.
Mr Hamid was speaking on Saturday at 'Meet the Energy Reporters' on a river cruise organised by the Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB).
He said the use of smart pre-paid meters would also ensure efficient use of natural gas.
Titas Gas is the country's largest gas marketing and distribution company that started supplying gas to consumers since April, 1968.
It has a total of 13,078 kilometres (km) of gas pipeline in its jurisdiction areas covering Dhaka and Mymensingh areas.
The energy ministry has already set a deadline until June 2019 for Titas Gas and until February for other gas marketing and distribution companies to remove illegal piped natural gas connections across the country.
The Energy Ministry, in a recent directive to the gas marketing and distribution companies, also stated that the top officials of these state-run companies would be made liable if any illegal gas connection is found after the respective deadlines.
Responding to a query Mr Hamid said the government has moved to raise gas price mainly for commercial and industrial consumers as well as for power plants to offset the loss being incurred after the import of expensive LNG.
State-run gas marketing and distribution companies have submitted proposals to the energy regulator with some adjustments in gas prices.
But everything depends on the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), he said.
The minister also underscored the need for initiating extensive exploration both in onshore and offshore blocks to increase output of locally-produced gas.
He, however, said the raise in gas tariff would not have a big impact on electricity charges as dual-fuel power plants, which were running on oil, would be shifted to gas fired ones.
Besides, the government has planned to retire old oil-fired power plants for limiting the use of petroleum oil, he said.
Responding to another query, Mr Hamid favoured utilising local coal extensively in future for generating electricity, which he said, would be cost-effective in the long run.
The state minister also launched the new website of the FERB (www.ferbd.com) during the function.
FERB chairman Arun Karmaker chaired the event, while its executive director Sadrul Hasan conducted the programme.
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