State owned Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL) will install more one lakh prepaid meters at cost of Taka 292.49 crore to domestic consumers in the port city and different upazilas of Chattogram.
The project work is expected to begin from December next under the project ‘Installation of Prepaid Gas Meter for KGDCL Part-2’and likely to be completed by June 2024, official sources said on Monday.
Through this new, 1 lakh customers of cities and the district are being brought under prepaid meters. KGDCL will implement this project at a cost of Taka about 241 crores. With the approval of the Finance Ministry, the entire project cost is being paid from the KGDCL’s own fund.
Meanwhile, the KGDCL signed a contract with a Japanese firm to start the installation of meters on September 19 last resulting the waiting for prepaid gas meter is over.
It is known that the number of customers of KGDCL is now around six lakhs in Chattogram.
After installing 60,000 and domestic gas meters under the first phase of the project, KGDCL has proposed one lakh prepaid gas meters with own funding.
Deputy General Manager of the KGDCL Engineer Nahid Alam told journalists the prepaid meters became very popular among the consumers because of it is one of the austerity steps. Domestic consumers are very careful while using prepaid gas meters, he added.
Under this project, gas meters will be installed in Sadarghat, Baizid, Chandgaon, Panchalaish, Chowkbazar, Pahartali, Khulshi, Bakalia, Sadarghat, Kotwali, Halishahar, Doublemooring, Bandar, EPZ, Patenga, Akbarshah, Karnaphuli, Hathazari, Sitakunda, Patiya, Boalkhali, Chandanaish and Anwara upazilas.
Bills of the prepaid meters will be paid through mobile banking of B-kash, Sure Cash and Rocket. Prepaid consumers will have the advantages of purchasing prepaid cards from POS Station (point of sales) for recharging the meters, sources said.