A double whammy for natural gas users  

Titas gas consumers are set to be troubled by a double whammy. For the last few months, the problem of gas supply shortage worsened in Dhaka and its adjoining areas. All types of consumers - domestic, commercial and industrial - have been suffering. As if to add insult to injury, the government is almost certain to enforce yet another hike in gas prices soon to cover the cost of high-priced LNG (liquefied natural gas) import from a number of sources. Consumers have already been subjected to a total of 222 per cent hike in gas tariff during the last couple of years. The utility provider would show a hundred reasons in support of the hike. But, such a large hike hurts the consumers at all levels. The problem emanating from increase in utility rates is far more serious in the case of industries, particularly the export-oriented ones. The increase does impair their capability to compete in the international market.

On top of short supply and recurrent hike in gas price, consumers are also subjected to hassles of all sorts by a section of unscrupulous officials and employees of the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd. Leaders of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) at a view-exchange meeting, held last Monday in Dhaka, presented before the prime minister's energy adviser a long list of irregularities and corruption indulged in by a section of officials and employees of the company.  The government is yet to resume new gas connections to domestic consumers. As of now, such connection facilities are open to commercial and industrial enterprises. But the connections to these consumers are not easy to come by. Nothing moves an inch in the Titas, allegedly, unless the palms of the officials and employees are greased adequately.

The low pressure of gas has emerged as a serious problem for industries in and around Dhaka. Factories concerned cannot operate their boilers and captive power plants for non-availability of adequate gas supplies. The management of these factories cannot switch over to any other alternative fuel to operate their gas-based machines/equipment. Some factory owners tend to blame a section of Titas employees for low gas pressure. However, the energy ministry can hardly evade its responsibility in this connection. It could not ensure setting up of an adequate number of gas compressor stations to help raise gas pressure in the supply pipeline.

In fact, irregularities and corruption in this state entity have been rampant. There are stories galore about households and factories getting illegal connections with the help of Titas employees. Residents of some areas close to the capital city could manage illegal connections in hundreds from the main gas transmission lines. The extent of gas pilferage in the country is not known, but it must be substantial. However, the gas distribution companies do get away with their failures to check pilferage while terming the loss of gas as technical one.

The energy adviser, while listening to the problems and allegations put forward by the business leaders, did reportedly promise to go tough on corrupt elements in Titas. Past records concerning similar promises made by government's decision-makers, however, do hardly make one optimistic about seeing any notable change on the ground. Rather, clients of most government entities complain about the rise in irregularities and graft-taking. The reasons behind deterioration in the situation must be quite a few. Political muscle flexing by a section of employees, surely, should be at the top of those. This phenomenon is nothing new. But it plays a major role in many unwanted developments in operations of state entities. The Titas gas company is no exception.