Deadline June 20 for legalisation

Petrobangla yesterday extended the deadline until June 20 for households to declare their illegal gas connections. Actions will be taken against those who will continue to use gas without having their connections legitimised by the time.
Hossain Monsur, chairman of the state-run oil, gas and mineral corporation, said this at a press conference at his office in the capital.
On May 14, the state-run agency began a process to legalise over 150,000 unlawful gas connections, a week after the government lifted a three-year ban on new gas links to households.
The initial deadline was May 30. But as of Monday only 9,455 households have declared that they are using gas illegally, the Petrobangla chairman told reporters.
Households have to pay Tk 6,750 for a double burner cooking stove to legalise their connections, he said, adding the new scheme also covers 57,414 households, who have obtained gas connections illegally but pay bills with Titas Gas.
Monsur also said some top officials of Titas Gas had been involved in providing gas connections to households and industries during the ban period.
"Their involvement was learnt during my initial investigation. A further investigation will be conducted. If they are found guilty, administrative steps will be taken against them."