A Truth Commission started work from August 2008. Sixty-four TGTDCL personnel were reported to have deposited Tk.34 crore after admitting bribery. Some members of the concerned parliamentary committee observed that there should not be any problem in taking administrative actions against the personnel as the caretaker
government did not take any action against the committee's findings.
Only one hundred and fifteen officers and staff of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) came forward to return graft money to the government. The majority of them are small fries like meter readers, linesmen, supervisors, accounts assistants, development assistants, technicians, welders etc. Among them 43 are
meter readers.
Apparently the meter readers are most powerful and influential group. This indicates that they act as agents for collection of graft on behalf of their higher officers and staff, which suits everybody. In case of bigger transactions the higher officers are contacted directly by the concerned suppliers or contractors.
It appears that successive governments were well aware of the need for controlling bribery in TGTDCL for quite sometime. They had received various allegations of irregularities and corruption. The enquiries led by the permanent parliamentary committee on electricity, fuel and mineral resources and the Public Accounts Committee have found out the truth about the allegation of irregularities
and corruption against 275 officers and staff of the organisation.
No punitive action has yet been taken against them for reasons best known to the concerned ministry. Needless to say that mere presence of these personnel in the organisation makes it almost impossible to curb corruption in theTGTDCL.
Among the corrupt personnel stated above are the deputy general manager, manager, meter readers, linemen and personnel for disconnecting and connecting lines. Apart from the parliamentary committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) have also found out the truth about the allegations against these personnel. The concerned ministry has been requested
to take appropriate action.
It is learnt from the concerned parliamentary committee that after a long investigation the ACC, after duly ascertaining the truth, submitted a report to the government in March 2009. The report pointed to the commitment of 115 officials to return Tk.400 crore. Till now, no money has been returned.
In fact, the parliamentary committee found it extremely difficult to identify these personnel who are reported to have returned to their jobs through bribery on assumption of power by the present government. No action has been taken against these personnel even after strong recommendation for deterrent action against them.
From the different reports of investiga-
tions by the ACC, the Parliamentary Committee and short-lived Truth Commission, it is abundantly clear that TGTDCL is a highly corrupt organisation.
Development of transmission and distribution of gas is vitally important for our economic progress. If we fail to take any punitive action against open bribery in the TGTDCL it will be shameful because it will prove that a few corrupt personnel of an important development organisation are more powerful than even the high-level committees and the public accounts committee, and people will consider ACC as a mere paper-tiger. We draw the attention of the prime minister to take appropriate action in this regard.
A.B.M.S. Zahur is a former Joint Secretary.