One of Asia’s oldest gas firms shifts address from Park St to Narkeldanga
Times of India | 8 April 2024
Kolkata: Oriental Gas Company, one of the oldest city-gas companies in Asia that was floated during the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, is changing its address after almost 83 years. From 12A, Park Street, where it has been since 1941, the peak of WW II, , the firm will move to 14, Canal West Road in the Narkeldanga area.
The Park Street property belongs to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).Oriental has already shifted base but some of its documents — 150-175 years old — are still in the old office. The company had to shift following a legal battle with LIC.
Renamed Greater Calcutta Gas Company, Oriental is a state outfit and is one of the promoters of Bengal Gas Company. The latter is being assigned for city gas distribution in Kolkata and has a JV with Gail. “We are shifting to 14, Canal West Road, which used to be our gas depot. LIC has already taken possession of the Park Street office. But some furniture and documents are still there,” said a source at the Greater Calcutta Gas Company.
Incidentally, the estate department of LIC looks after the vast real estate of life insurers in different cities, including Kolkata. Sources in LIC said that the order was passed by the Estate Court. “The estate department has already put up an advertisement for renting out the premises to a fresh tenant,” a source said. However, sources in LIC indicated it can consider any appeal to take furniture or documents.
A veteran official of Greater Calcutta Gas Company recalled what he heard from seniors: In 1858, Kolkata started enjoying coal gas, distributed by the then Oriental Gas Company Ltd (OGCL), which was set up under the Oriental Gas Company Act of 1857 (Act V of 1857), incorporated in England. In the 1860s, two gas distribution companies — Bombay Gas Company and Oriental Gas Company Ltd — started in Bombay and Calcutta respectively. At that time, these companies used to supply coal gas, mainly for commercial interest. These companies continued to distribute coal gas as a fuel for more than 100 years till the 70s. For Oriental, the actual coal gas production was done in plants at Rajabazar and Howrah.
After Independence, the British owner sold the company to an Indian firm Jalan & Co, which ran for several years from a Rajabazar factory. Due to ageing of the machinery, the business faced serious problems, leading to it being closed down in the late 1950s. The Oriental Gas Company was nationalised in 1960, and its name was changed to Oriental Gas Company’s Undertaking (OGCU). This was under the administrative control of the state commerce & industries department. At that time, it had received its supply of coal gas from Durgapur. But after this became unreliable in the 1970s, the state converted OGCU to Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation, with 100% equity participation.