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HC rejects writ seeking stay on gas price hike


 
Published : 09 Jul 2019 02:29 PM | Updated : 04 Sep 2020 09:52 PM

The High Court on Tuesday rejected the writ petition filed seeking a stay order on the government decision to increase gas price.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal rejected the petition.

Following the order, the new gas price will remain effective.

Earlier, Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond filed the petition with the High Court.

The average gas price has been raised by 32.8 percent for the retail consumers in the country with effect from July 1.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Monwar Islam announced the decision of the commission at its office on June 29.

As per the new price hike, the household consumers having single burner will have to pay Tk 925 a month instead of the existing Tk 750 while the double burner users will have to pay Tk 975 instead of the existing Tk 800.

The household consumers having gas metre will have to pay Tk 12.60 per cubic metre (CM) instead of Tk 9.10 with 38.46 percent hike.

The BERC chief said the average gas price was raised to Tk 9.80 per cubic metre from the existing Tk 7.38 per cubic metre (CM).

According to the increased price, CNG consumers will have to pay Tk 43 per CM with 7.5 percent hike instead of Tk 40 while captive and small power plant operators will have to pay Tk 13.85 per CM instead of Tk 9.62 with 43.97 percent hike. CNG station operators will have to pay Tk 35 per CM instead of Tk 32 to the government for their feed gas.

Consumers like restaurants, hospitals, student hostels, hotels will have to pay Tk 23 per CM instead of Tk 17.04 due to 34.98 percent hike in price.

The gas price hike for industry is 37 percent as the industry owners will have to pay Tk 10.70 per CM instead of Tk 7.76 per CM while tea estates the same price like industries.

However, the gas price for small and cottage industries was not raised.