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State-owned Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) has started installing prepaid meters for another 0.1 million (one lakh) residential customers in the city and in different upazilas of the district at a cost of Tk 2.91 billion (Tk 291 crore).
Talking to the journalists, KGDCL Managing Director Engineer M Abu Saklain said the installation of these meters for KGDCL Part-2 started last week and it is expected to be completed by June this year, according to a BSS report Friday.
KGDCL has around 0.6 million (six lakh) customers in Chattogram, he added.
"There are 5 lakh 97 thousand 561 residential customers in Chattogram. A total of 60,000 customers were brought under prepaid meters through the Natural Gas Efficiency Project funded by JICA in the first phase. This project, undertaken in 2015 at a cost of Tk 2.47 billion (Tk 247 crore), was completed in 2019", he said.
KGDCL took up the second phase of the project to install one lakh meters in February 2021 under the title 'Prepaid Meter Installation Project for Residential Customers'.
The cost of this project was estimated at Tk 241 crore 61 lakh initially. The project was originally scheduled to be completed by June 2023. After that, the cost of the project increased to Tk 291 crore 49 lakh, and the time extended till June 2025, the source added.
According to KGDCL sources, an agreement was signed with the Japanese company Toyokiki Company Limited on September 19, 2021, to install 100,000 prepaid meters in Chattogram in the second phase.
In the second phase, gas meters will be installed at Sadarghat, Baizid, Chandgaon, Panchalaish, Chowkbazar, Pahartali, Khulshi, Bakalia, Sadarghat, Kotwali, Halishahar, Doublemooring, Bandar, EPZ, Patenga, Akbarshah, Karnaphuli, Hathazari, Sitakunda, Patiya, Boalkhali, Chandanaish and Anwara upazilas.
Abu Saklain told BSS that the meters are being installed in Halishahar area now.
"A total of 1,100 meters have been installed till February 1. Our goal is to complete the installation of one lakh meters by December 2024. The first shipment of prepaid meters arrived from Japan on November 29, 2023," he added.
Gas bills of prepaid meters can be paid through mobile banking of b-Kash, Sure Cash and Rocket.
Prepaid consumers will be able to purchase and recharge prepaid cards at the point of sales, sources said.