CNG Conversion
Govt limps halfway as deadline nears end
Akbar Hossain
The government is only halfway to achieving its target of converting over half of its petrol and diesel vehicles into compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling by December 2004, said sources in the government transport pool.Some transport pool staff with connivance of a section of employees from different ministries is dragging out the CNG conversion process to keep on having gain through petrol and diesel pilferage, sources added. The government transport pool, which supervises the government vehicles, has a fleet of about 450 automobiles. At the beginning of the year, the government decided to convert some 230 petrol and diesel run vehicles into CNG-run transports. Conversion would save the government Tk 10 lakh every month, sources said. In September this year, the energy and mineral resources ministry reminded different ministries by post of the deadline for the conversion. The energy ministry asked them to submit a monthly progress report on the conversion process as well. "We have asked different ministries to let us know how many vehicles have so far been converted but to no avail," said an energy ministry official requesting anonymity. Many a driver of government vehicles reportedly sell petrol for Tk 20-22 a litre in different parts of the city including Chankharpool, Kalyanpur and Karwan Bazar areas, whereas the government buys petrol at Tk 35 a litre from the authorised filling stations. When asked about the delay in conversion of the government vehicles, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources AKM Mosharraf Hossain said they would be able to convert 80 percent of the target of around 230 government vehicles by the end of this year. "We are monitoring the CNG conversion process regularly," said Mosharraf Hossain adding, "But we have decided not to convert the worn-out vehicles as they will be will be of no use." Conversion of petrol and diesel-run government vehicles would save about Tk 5 crore every year while the cost of conversion would be recovered within a year. The state minister said certain government employees on various pretexts are trying to discourage the conversion for their own benefits. He said the government has plans to gradually convert all the petrol and diesel-run vehicles of the semi-government and autonomous institutions.
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