গ্যাস-সংযোগ দেওয়ার প্রক্রিয়া এগোচ্ছে

গ্যাস-সংযোগ দেওয়ার প্রক্রিয়া এগোচ্ছে

অরুণ কর্মকার | তারিখ: ২৯-০৩-২০১৩

ধীরগতিতে হলেও এগোচ্ছে আবাসিক খাতে গ্যাস-সংযোগ উন্মুক্ত করার প্রক্রিয়া। এ ব্যাপারে মন্ত্রণালয়ের
বিভিন্ন প্রশ্নের জবাব দিয়ে পেট্রোবাংলা গতকাল বৃহস্পতিবার আবারও প্রস্তাব পাঠিয়েছে।

প্রস্তাবে বলা হয়েছে, সরকার বন্ধ ঘোষণার পর ৫৭ হাজার ৪১৪টি চুলায় নতুন সংযোগ দেওয়া হয়েছে।
এই গ্রাহকেরা ব্যাংকে নিয়মিত বিলও জমা দিচ্ছেন। কিন্তু সেই টাকা সরকারি কোষাগারে জমা হচ্ছে না।
এর পাশাপাশি প্রায় সমানসংখ্যক রয়েছে চোরাই সংযোগ। এই গ্রাহকেরা বিল না দিয়েই গ্যাস ব্যবহার
করছেন।

প্রস্তাবে সুনির্দিষ্ট হিসাব উল্লেখ করে বলা হয়, ২০১০ সালের ১৩ জুলাই আবাসিক খাতে নতুন সংযোগ
বন্ধ ঘোষণার সময় অপেক্ষমাণ গ্রাহক (আবেদনকারী) ছিলেন প্রায় এক লাখ ৪৮ হাজার। এর মধ্যে
উপরিউক্ত গ্রাহকেরা সংযোগ পাওয়ার পর অবশিষ্ট আছেন ৪০ হাজারের মতো।
এখন সংযোগ উন্মুক্ত করা হলে গ্রাহকসংখ্যা বৃদ্ধির বার্ষিক হার অনুযায়ী প্রায় দেড় লাখ নতুন আবেদন
পড়বে। সব মিলিয়ে প্রায় দুই লাখ গ্রাহককে নতুন সংযোগ দিতে হবে। এ জন্য প্রতিদিন বাড়তি গ্যাস
লাগবে দুই কোটি ঘনফুট। তবে সংযোগ উন্মুক্ত করার সঙ্গে সঙ্গেই দৈনিক গ্যাসের চাহিদা দুই কোটি
ঘনফুট বাড়বে না। কারণ, বিতরণ কোম্পানিগুলোর দৈনিক নতুন সংযোগ দেওয়ার ক্ষমতা ৩০০টির
মতো। কাজেই হিসাবে উল্লিখিত সব গ্রাহককে সংযোগ দিতে প্রায় আড়াই বছর সময় লাগবে। তাই
গ্যাসের চাহিদাও বাড়বে পর্যায়ক্রমে।

বিষয়টি সম্পর্কে জানতে চাইলে পেট্রোবাংলার চেয়ারম্যান অধ্যাপক হোসেন মনসুর বলেন, আবাসিক
খাতে এখন প্রতিদিন গ্যাস ব্যবহূত হচ্ছে ২২ কোটি ঘনফুট। নতুন সংযোগ উন্মুক্ত করলে এখনই চাহিদা
 বাড়বে এক কোটি ঘনফুটের মতো। পর্যায়ক্রমে তা দুই থেকে তিন কোটি ঘনফুটে উঠবে। কয়েক লাখ
গ্রাহকের জন্য এই সামান্য গ্যাস সরবরাহ করা কোনো সমস্যাই নয়।

মন্ত্রণালয় সূত্র জানায়, নতুন সংযোগ উন্মুক্ত করার ক্ষেত্রে পেট্রোবাংলার প্রস্তাব হচ্ছে, প্রথমে সীমিত
পরিসরে সংযোগ চালু করা। অর্থাৎ সরকার নতুন সংযোগ বন্ধ করার আগে যেসব গ্রাহক সংযোগের জন্য
আবেদন করেছেন এবং যাঁদের নামে চাহিদাপত্র (ডিমান্ড নোট) ইস্যু করা হয়েছে, তাঁদের অগ্রাধিকার
ভিত্তিতে সংযোগ দেওয়া। এরপর সংযোগ বন্ধ থাকা অবস্থায় যাঁরা কোনো না-কোনোভাবে সংযোগ
পেয়েছেন, নিয়মিত বিলও দিচ্ছেন, কিন্তু গ্রাহক সংকেত নম্বর নেই—এই গ্রাহকদের নির্দিষ্ট পরিমাণে
জরিমানা করে সংযোগ বৈধ করে দেওয়া।

তবে যাঁদের সংযোগ সম্পূর্ণ অবৈধ, গ্যাস আইন অনুযায়ী ভ্রাম্যমাণ আদালত পরিচালনা করে তাঁদের
সংযোগ স্থায়ীভাবে বিচ্ছিন্ন করে আইনানুগ ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার প্রস্তাব করা হয়েছে।

বিদ্যুৎ, জ্বালানি ও খনিজ সম্পদ মন্ত্রণালয়-সংক্রান্ত সংসদীয় কমিটি গত ২৭ ফেব্রুয়ারি দ্বিতীয়বারের
মতো আবাসিক খাতে গ্যাস-সংযোগ চালুর সুপারিশ করে। তার পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে ওই দিনই পেট্রোবাংলা
একটি প্রস্তাব মন্ত্রণালয়ে পাঠায়। মন্ত্রণালয় থেকে ওই প্রস্তাবের বিষয়ে কিছু প্রশ্নের জবাব চেয়ে প্রস্তাবটি
পেট্রোবাংলার কাছে ফেরত পাঠিয়েছিল। ওই সব প্রশ্নের জবাব দিয়ে গতকাল পেট্রোবাংলা আবার
প্রস্তাবটি মন্ত্রণালয়ে পাঠিয়েছে।

Invest in Bangladesh's real estate, infrastructure, power

Bangladesh business people yesterday urged Kuwait entrepreneurs to invest in some potential areas such as real estate, power generation and transmission, financial market, infrastructure and hotel and tourism. The call came at a discussion between the visiting Kuwaiti business delegation and the country's apex trade body, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, in Dhaka. The Bangladesh business side said trade volume between Kuwait and Bangladesh is substantial but slightly lopsided. Kuwaiti investment in Bangladesh may help reduce the trade gap, they opined. In the 2004-05 fiscal, Bangladesh's export to Kuwait stood at only $7.87million while it imported goods worth $517million.
--> Local business leaders also urged the government of Kuwait to recruit more skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Bangladesh. They also offered Kuwaiti importers to import pharmaceutical products to meet some of their requirements and also offered investment under joint collaboration in Kuwait. The 17-member Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) delegation was led by Hilal Meshari Al Mutairi, first deputy chairman of KCCI. The FBCCI team was led by its President Mir Nasir Hossain. Mohammad Abdul Awal, president of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (Rehab), Khalifa Abdullah Al Fadala, chairman of Al-Raya International, Khaled Jassim Al Wazzan, chairman of General Trading and Contracting Co, also spoke at the meeting. Nazmul Hasan, chief executive officer of Beximco Pharmaceuticals, made a presentation on the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh at the meeting. Addressing the meeting, Mir Nasir said the Kuwaiti entrepreneurs, who are used to investing in Malaysia and Pakistan, can come forward to invest in different sectors, including financial market of Bangladesh. "I sincerely call on them to avail of the opportunity of using our gas and low-paid labour and invest here to meet the demand of a large international market as well as the domestic one," Mir Nasir said. "We welcome the Kuwaiti investors to come to Bangladesh for investment in 100 percent ownership or in joint venture in order to take an advantage of investment-friendly environment and packages available here," he said. Hilal Meshari told the meeting that a number of trade and investment agreements were signed between Bangladesh and Kuwait. "Nevertheless, we do believe that economic co-operation between the two nations should be enhanced," he added. --> He said the Kuwaiti private sector, which is strongly backed by supportive governmental polices, believes that it is high time to push forward these economic and trade relations with an aim of creating solid and fruitful economic partnerships between the two countries. Earlier, the FBCCI leaders underscored the need for formulation of joint chambers through two apex trade bodies FBCCI and KCCI.

REHAB urged to build low-price housing

Communication, Housing and Public Works Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) Golam Quader yesterday asked real estate businessmen to build low price sustainable housing for middle income people.

He was addressing as chief guest the inaugural ceremony of the five-day Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) Fair-2008 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Convention Center in the city.

He said the real estate businessmen should fulfill all rules and regulations in developing housing projects to create a good environment friendly living for people.

Golam Quader laid emphasis on creating closer relationship among the real estate organisations and the government to promote planned urbanisation in the country.

He advised the REHAB members to expand their projects to localities outside big cities to help resolve housing problem.

He also advised them to use sustainable environment friendly technology in building houses.

The Housing and Public Works Adviser praised the REHAB activities for making significant contribution in the country's economic development.

The REHAB arranged the fair to showcase its new housing development schemes and designs and attract buyers to put booking orders as part of promoting sales and business.

A total of 192 real estate firms are taking part in the fair. Of them 187 are house building and land developing firms and the remaining five are banks and financial institutions supporting the housing sector.

The fair will remain open from 10:00am to 8:00pm daily except till November 16. Its one time entry fee is Taka 50 and for five days together Taka 100.

Secretary of the Housing and Public Works ASM Rashedul Haque, REHAB President Tanbirul Haque Probal, Vice President Abdur Rahim Khan, Shahidur Rahman Lal, addressed, among others on the occasion.

REHAB is organising seminars, lectures and drawing competition in the sideline of the event.
(The Daily New Nation-12.11.2008)

New ordinance raises debate

Sadat Hossain Salim, managing director of Rupayan, focuses on downside of the proposed law

It is a matter of heated debate that the recently proposed ordinance on the real estate contains controversial provisions which, if enforced, could land developers in jail in non-bailable cases. 

Sadat Hossain Salim, managing director of Rupayan, a leading housing developer in the country, says: “We often face delays in implementing projects because of the lapses of Rajuk officials. Now, developers will face punishment in case of failure to hand over the apartment in time, regardless of the reason behind the delay.”

“The government and its officials are protected under the proposed law and as per the ordinance, developers cannot file any case against those government officials who are responsible for supervising the activities," Salim clarifies the reasons behind the disputes. 

"Yet any official from the developer's side can be fined or jailed for violating any clause of the ordinance," Salim says in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star. 

“This is highly immoral and contrary to ethical norms." 

“We often fail to deliver the flat or plot because of the land owners and government officials, who conceal disputes that may be associated with the land and delay approving files," he says.

Focusing on "Bangladesh Real Estate Management Ordinance 2008" that created widespread debate, Salim has supported the fact that law is necessary for control of fraudulent acts, but there must be a balance.

Allegations of fraud and deception in handing over plots or flats and illegal encroachment of private and public land are rife against a section of real estate companies. 

Many innocent people are often lured by false assurances of hole-in-the-wall housing companies due to the lax monitoring of the sector. Malpractices prompted the government to initiate the move to bring the fast-growing sector under a stringent law.

Currently, the law ministry is reviewing the draft for vetting. The draft regulation stipulates jail terms and financial penalties for delinquent developers.

The government and the developers are apparently at loggerhead over the enactment of the draft ordinance. The government has formulated the law without consultation with the sector people, the realtors claimed. 

The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) submitted a set of recommendations to the government for incorporating the suggestions in the ordinance. 

After the draft ordinance came out, it was seen that the recommendations were left out. REHAB quickly came up with a notice that if the ordinance is implemented, it will destroy the real estate sector.

While the government is justifying the ordinance by saying that it is necessary to protect client's interests, developers say it will cut their rights.

“Both parties are right on their respective stances,” Salim says. 

In the past, many hit-and-run companies have cheated consumers and failed to hand over the due flats or plots even after years of taking the money. They also use low-quality building materials to stretch the dollar and to bag more profits at the cost of buyers, Salim admits.

“No doubt laws are required to protect the consumers,” he says. On the other hand, the real estate, which accounts for over 8 percent of the country's $78 billion GDP, should not go out of the market over the fear of the provision of severe punishment in the proposed ordinance.

The sector has generated a lot of jobs in the country and genuine businessmen have invested crores of taka, by both equity and bank borrowing, he says.

“If the law comes through, there is a possibility that many genuine businesses will withdraw their investments," he fears.

The companies, wary of "unavoidable circumstances", fear that even lapses of errant government officials or clients may lead them to punishment. Errant officials can escape punishment, according to the proposed laws, Salim says.

He speculates that a new breed of 'tout class' may be born to cash in on the opportunities. “The tout class may try to blackmail the developers in the name of the buyers,” he says.

Dishonest bureaucrats will also try to abuse the law, he alleges.

“We have raised our concerns at different levels including the chief adviser,” Salim says. "He assured us that there would be a balance."

Salim states that a realtor would be punished with five years in jail if he uses low-quality materials. “On what basis will the quality of the materials be classified? We use low-quality materials for low-priced flats,” he adds. 

He also criticises the government for terming the offence as 'criminal', instead of 'civil'. “A violation of contract cannot be a criminal offence,” he notes.

But Salim backs the provision for after-sales service. “The service may be for a maximum of one year instead of the proposed two after sales.”

According to a study, Salim says, housing in the capital city will grow until the year 2015. Still the government and the private sector have miles to go in making the city livable. Some 60 percent of Dhaka residents are tenants.

Salim says the sector has boomed mainly because of the large number of people wishing to make Dhaka their home, scarcity of land and the use of black money. These issues have caused for dramatic rises in the price of spaces in the city.

Salim, a campaigner in the housing industry, says there are no housing zones or satellite cities surrounding Dhaka. Now space has become a big constraint for the sector. Industries have grabbed almost all the land surrounding the city.

He also criticises the present REHAB leaders for their failure to uphold the interests of the industry.

“The current leadership is weak and they cannot bargain with the government. They have failed,” he adds.

The proposed law suggested that real-estate companies must obtain registration from the related authorities and get project designs approved under the Private Housing Project Land Development Rules-2004. An occupancy certificate is a must to hand over any plot or flat. The companies must clearly state in their prospectuses the consequences of failure to pay the installments by the buyers, and they must not sell out the flats of defaulters to third parties within 90 days of notification. 

The draft law stipulates that real-estate companies will have to return the entire sum of money along with interest to the buyers in three months' time in case of missing handover deadlines. 

The developers have to take initiatives to ensure utility services in the project areas. If it is found that any company starts the project work without permission, the company will be fined up to a sum of Tk 10 lakh and its executives may be punished with three years of imprisonment. 

It also imposes a bar on the mortgage of any plot or flat before it is handed over to its owner. Developers will be fined for failing to inform its client beforehand about the mortgage of any complete or under-construction land, apartment or space. 

Besides, there will be penalties for not using agreed materials in construction and suspending a project without consulting clients
(The Daily Star-21.10.2008)

ENA Properties holds workshop on Rajshahi City Planning

ENA Properties, an apartment builder, organised a discussion-cum-workshop titled 'Rajshahi City Development and Planning' in the city Friday, said a press release.

Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor AHM Khairujjaman Liton was present at the programme as chief guest, while founding Chairman of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited Sajjatuz Jumma, politicians Nurul Huque Thandu, Tapan Kumar Nath and Zahidur Rahman Iqbal were the special guests.

Managing Director of the ENA Properties Md Enamul Haque presided over the discussion session.

Eminent engineers and high officials of RCC were present at the programme.

Speakers at the workshop laid emphasis on remodelling the city corporation under a master plan by putting development and overall service to the city-dweller at the top of the priority issues.

About 50 participants took part in the workshop, the release added.
(The Financial Express/14.09.2008)

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