Drive against pilferage

3 CNG filling stations sealed off

At least three CNG refilling stations along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Comilla were sealed off for running the stations with tampered meters, during a drive by the concerned ministry yesterday. The joint drive, conducted by Mokammel Haque, deputy secretary of the Energy Ministry, fined the stations more than one lakh taka. The gas stations are Rahama Filling Station, Sajan Filling Station and Comilla CNG.
Source said these gas stations on the Dhaka-Chattagong Highway tampered with the gas meters for a long time in connivance of some officials of the Bakharabad Gas Distribution Company Limited, resulting a huge loss of revenues for the government. They also said stern actions would be taken against the responsible persons involved in such tempering after investigation.  A letter signed by SKM Monwar Hossain Akhand, director of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), had informed the distribution company that the CNG gas stations on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, one of the busiest roads of the country, had been selling gas to the vehicles after stealing it by tampering with the meters.
The letter further said that a number of employees of the gas company and CBA leaders were involved in such activities.
As per the allegations made in the letter, several other gas stations are also involved in similar practice that includes Chiura Filling Station, Chowdhury and Sons, MA Khalek Station, Miar Bazar Filing Station, Bhuiyan Filling Station, Isha Garden, Tamjid Filling Station, Riverview, Bhuiyan and Sons, Mukti Filling Station, East Zone, Rahama Filling Station, Arafat Rana Filling Station, Noor Brothers, Saburia Filling Station, Sakur Filling Station.
In the letter, Petrobangla ordered Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company to investigate the matter immediately and to take necessary actions. It has been learnt from sources that these gas stations had been selling gas to customers at almost half of government fixed price. Often, vehicle owners were able to bargain the amount to be paid after refilling their vehicles with CNG.
Sources alleged that one general managers of the distribution company, in association with CBA leaders, bypassed the order of Petrobangla and the group helped refilling stations continue the pilferage of the gas by tampering with the meters. As the syndicate did not pay heed to the Petrobangla, the Energy Ministry itself took initiatives to look into the matter by forming a probe committee.  “We would investigate the whole matter immediately and take necessary action accordingly against the perpetrators,” Deputy Secretary Mokammel Haque told The Independent yesterday. “We have prepared a list the gas stations engaged in the pilferage by manipulating meters. The culprits would face dire action if found guilty of such manipulation,” he added.

 

Drive against pilferage

3 CNG filling stations sealed off

At least three CNG refilling stations along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Comilla were sealed off for running the stations with tampered meters, during a drive by the concerned ministry yesterday. The joint drive, conducted by Mokammel Haque, deputy secretary of the Energy Ministry, fined the stations more than one lakh taka. The gas stations are Rahama Filling Station, Sajan Filling Station and Comilla CNG. Source said these gas stations on the Dhaka-Chattagong Highway tampered with the gas meters for a long time in connivance of some officials of the Bakharabad Gas Distribution Company Limited, resulting a huge loss of revenues for the government. They also said stern actions would be taken against the responsible persons involved in such tempering after investigation. A letter signed by SKM Monwar Hossain Akhand, director of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), had informed the distribution company that the CNG gas stations on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, one of the busiest roads of the country, had been selling gas to the vehicles after stealing it by tampering with the meters. The letter further said that a number of employees of the gas company and CBA leaders were involved in such activities. As per the allegations made in the letter, several other gas stations are also involved in similar practice that includes Chiura Filling Station, Chowdhury and Sons, MA Khalek Station, Miar Bazar Filing Station, Bhuiyan Filling Station, Isha Garden, Tamjid Filling Station, Riverview, Bhuiyan and Sons, Mukti Filling Station, East Zone, Rahama Filling Station, Arafat Rana Filling Station, Noor Brothers, Saburia Filling Station, Sakur Filling Station. In the letter, Petrobangla ordered Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company to investigate the matter immediately and to take necessary actions. It has been learnt from sources that these gas stations had been selling gas to customers at almost half of government fixed price. Often, vehicle owners were able to bargain the amount to be paid after refilling their vehicles with CNG. Sources alleged that one general managers of the distribution company, in association with CBA leaders, bypassed the order of Petrobangla and the group helped refilling stations continue the pilferage of the gas by tampering with the meters. As the syndicate did not pay heed to the Petrobangla, the Energy Ministry itself took initiatives to look into the matter by forming a probe committee. We would investigate the whole matter immediately and take necessary action accordingly against the perpetrators, Deputy Secretary Mokammel Haque told The Independent yesterday. We have prepared a list the gas stations engaged in the pilferage by manipulating meters. The culprits would face dire action if found guilty of such manipulation, he added.