CAB threatens to move court to challenge gas price, power tariff

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Saturday threatened to move the court challenging the gas price and power tariff hike by the energy regulator.

Addressing a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), CAB’s adviser Prof Dr Shamsul Alam said they have been pursuing at the administrative level to ensure ‘justice’ over gas and power tariffs. A letter was forwarded to the PM’s adviser in this regard.

CAB, he said, is also launching a campaign to create public awareness about the ‘government’s unfair practice’.

“Once our plea is neglected at the administrative level, we’ll move the higher court to seek a remedy to the unjust, unfair and illegal order of the BERC that it passed on August 27 raising gas and power tariff,” Dr Alam said.

The CAB adviser said the BERC (Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission) has announced the decision after the expiry of its jurisdiction period.

“The relevant BERC law dictates the energy regulator must dispose of any petition regarding energy price escalation or reduction within 90 days from the public hearing. But the regulator announced the decision after more than eight months have passed,” Shamsul Alam said.

He also said there are so many valid grounds to move the court against the BERC order as this was announced under a certain pressure created by the government.

Dr Alam further alleged that the petitions pending with the BERC seeking the reduction of energy price are not being considered for holding any public hearing although it is mandatory to entertain such petitions.

Even before August 26, no one at the BERC was sure about any such decision that they are going to announce the next day.

But when the Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor, the State Minister for Power and Energy, the power and energy secretaries and chairmen of the two organisations in power and energy sector met at a meeting with the BERC top bodies on August 26, a decision was made to raise the prices.

“Such practice is against the BERC rule, and there was no reflection of the legal consideration. It deprived the consumers of justice,” Dr Alam observed.

The CAB adviser said the gas and power distribution companies failed to justify the merits of their petitions at the public hearing as most of the companies were making profit in their business.

CAB placed a 11-point demand at the press conference including revoking the gas and power price hike decision, holding a fresh public hearing to reduce gas price and power tariff, investing 50 percent of the revenue earned from energy sector for its development, and ensuring a level-playing field for private and public sectors in the power and energy sector.

CAN executive members Mosadder Hossain and Shahnewaj Chowdhury were also present at the press conference. -UNB