Gas supply to 4 Sylhet upazilas demanded
Greater Jaintia Nagorik Forum and Jaintapur Janodabi Parishad, the two non-political forums of 4 upazilas,yesterday demanded immediate gas supply to Jaintapur, Gowainghat, Kanaighat and Companiganj upazilas, known as Greater Jainta.
The leaders of the forums raised their long-standing demand at a press conference on eve of Prime Minister's visit to Sylhet on 24 March.
Although the country's first gas reserve was found at Haripur of Jaintapur upazila in 1955 and the gas supply to the national grid is still going on, the inhabitants of the region are still deprived of the benefit, the leaders said.
During the last decades, a number of officials and ministers had committed to set up gas network in the said upazilas, but it all proved futile, they said.
Joint convener of the parishad Abdul Malik Manik, also chairman of Nijpat union parishad read out a statement at the press conference while Jaintapur upazila parishad chairman Zainal Abedin and others spoke.
The leaders of the forums said they hope that the prime minister would consider their legitimate demand, 'which should have been met long ago'.
If the demand goes unheeded, a tougher agitation programme would be announced, the speakers said.
The people of the upazilas observed a peaceful half-day hartal on March 15 last. The demand was also raised in the parliament, they said.
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