Bogra-based private power generation company GBB Power Ltd has again kept unpaid over Tk Tk 3.72 crore bills for gas taken from Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL) during November 2009 to January this year.
According to the statement of PGCL revenue section, GBB Power Ltd never paid gas bills properly as per agreement since its starting operation in April 2008, a senior PGCL officer said.
GBB Power Ltd also kept unpaid Tk .57 crore surcharge during the period, PGCL sources said.
On March 8 this year, PCGL authority sent a letter to GBB Power Ltd for payment of over Tk 3.72 crore gas bills due for November 2009 to January 2010 as per contract.
Although the letter mentioned that legal action will be taken if GBB Power Ltd keeps gas bills unpaid without valid grounds, PGCL authority is yet to take any legal action against the private power generation company, PGCL sources said.
According to agreement, GBB Power Ltd has to pay gas bills within 45 days of receiving gas bills, PGCL sources said.
Contacted over cell phone on April 5, GBB Power Limited Managing Director engineer Fauzal Akbar, however, told The Daily Star that he has paid gas bills up to January 2010 according to the agreement.
Claiming that PGCL authority has been submitting 10 percent additional gas bills violating agreements for a long time he said, “I will never pay the 10 percent extra gas bill to the company. I have sent letters to the PGCL authorities to solve some disagreement through arbitration but the company ignored the letters.”
Besides, GBB have to pay over Tk 1.22 crore gas bill of March 2010, before May 15, 2010 and Tk 43.19 lakh gas bills of last February within April 15 this year, PGCL revenue section sources said.