ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday apprised the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources that Prime Minister had lifted ban on launching of new gas schemes for the Parliamentarians.
The meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Bilal Ahmed Virk to discuss the current status of ongoing gas schemes of Parliamentarians, defaulting Industrial Consumers, and Industrial Consumers involved in theft of gas and allocation of HSD/Motor Gasoline in the last week of each month to PSO retail stations.
He said that 38 percent gas had been added in the system after the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Managing Director SNGPL said that OGRA had been requested to approve 0.5 million gas connection per year as presently 0.3 million gas connections had been allowed.
The Members of the Committee pointed out that the gas companies were not providing gas within five kilometers to areas where it was being produced.
The Minister said that the government was committed to supply gas within distance of five kilometers but someone has to bear the expanse of the gas supply as company cannot lonely bear the expenditure.
The Minister said SNGPL and SSGCl do not have sufficient funds to provide gas to those areas and suggested that MNAs from respective constituencies should provide their development funds or the provincial governments should contribute in order to provide gas to those areas.
On the inquiry of the member, the minister said that interview of the OGRA chairman had been done and establishment division soon issue the order.
He said it was not possible for petrol pump to do the business without compromising the quantity and making adulteration.
The committee recommended for canceling of lenience of petrol pump involved in compromising quality and involved in adulteration.
The Committee decided to summon Director General (Petroleum Concession) along with information requisite by the Committee in its next meeting in exercise of Rule 227 (1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The Committee took this decision in view of failure of DG (PC) to submit the information required by the Committee within stipulated time.
The Committee expressed its displeasure on the grant of permission to sell LPG to the CNG stations by OGRA which had defaulted on account of gas bills.
The Committee decided to summon the Chairman OGRA in its next meeting to discuss the issue.
The Committee directed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to review its decision of making supplies of POL to dealers during the last week of the month on the basis of their three week average upliftment.
The Committee was of the view that the sale of POL in the rural areas was directly linked with the demand during sowing and harvesting seasons, therefore, fixing quota for the rural based dealers would result in drying out of petrol stations/retail outlets causing problems for the farmers.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Muhammad Arshad Khan Laghari, Malik Ihtebar Khan, Mian Tariq Mehmood, Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Ch. Khalid Javaid Warraich, Nawab Ali Wassan, Shehryar Afridi, Nasir Khan Khattak, Abdul Waseem, Sajid Ahmed, Shahjehan Muneer Mangrio.
Source: APP
