Illegal gas usage since 2012: Collect cost from consumers, HC orders
The High Court has directed the authorities concerned to determine how much gas has been used illegally in Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, and Gazipur in the last 12 years, and to collect its cost from the consumers concerned.
In response to a writ petition, the court on December 13 ordered the secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to constitute a three-member committee including a teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) nominated by its vice-chancellor, to determine the quantity of gas and its cost within six months.
The finance secretary has been ordered to collect the cost from the consumers under the Public Demand Recovery Act-1993, writ petitioner's counsel Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star on Wednesday.
The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman and Justice Md Atabullah also directed the energy and mineral resources secretary to form another high-powered committee consisting of six members to probe the allegations and identify the officials and contractors involved, take departmental action, and submit a report on all these to the HC in six months.
At the same time, the court ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to probe corruption allegations against the officials and contractors and to take legal action against the perpetrators.
The HC bench delivered the verdict following a writ petition filed by the rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking necessary directives.
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