Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL) is set to deploy over one lakh prepaid gas meters at a cost of Tk 292.49 crore in Chattogram and various upazilas. This initiative, named ‘Installation of Prepaid Gas Meter for KGDCL Part-2,’ is slated to commence in December and wrap up by June 2024. Approximately 100,000 customers in the city and district will transition to prepaid meters, with KGDCL investing around Tk 241 crore in the project. Remarkably, the Finance Ministry has sanctioned the full project funding from KGDCL’s internal resources.
KGDCL recently inked an agreement with a Japanese firm on September 19 to begin meter installations. The company currently serves around 600,000 customers in Chattogram. The move to prepaid meters has gained popularity due to its cost-efficiency and consumer accountability. Prepaid gas meter users will have the convenience of mobile banking options such as B-Kash, Sure Cash, and Rocket for bill payments, along with the ability to purchase prepaid cards at point-of-sale stations for meter recharging.