No instruction yet for providing new gas connections: Petrobangla

Despite repeated assurances by the Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser about providing new gas connections to industries from November, state-owned Petrobangla has not yet received any directive from Energy Division in this regard.

“We’ve not yet received any instruction from the Energy Division to restart providing gas connections to industries,” Petrobangla Chairman Dr Hussain Monsur told UNB on Wednesday.

He, however, said Petrobangla is ready to carry out any government’s order in resuming gas connection. “Whenever we receive the order, we’ll start our job,” Dr Monsur added.

New gas connections to all kinds of consumers, including household, commercial, power plants, fertiliser and industries remained suspended since July, 2009 because of its short supply.

But when the embargo on new gas connection was imposed by the Energy Division, it had said that the new connection will start when the gas production will cross the benchmark of 2200 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).

In May this year, the gas production crossed this benchmark and now the country is producing nearly 2250 mmcfd, but the embargo on new gas connection still remains in force.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury on different occasions recently said providing new gas connections will resume from November next.