OGRA asked to provide record of 500 CNG connection granted despite ban

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources has sought record in two weeks with regard to provision of Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) connections despite ban.

The committee met with Sardar Talib Hassan Naikai in the chair at the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) House here on Thursday.

Showing apprehension for not providing complete record of 500 cases to the committee members, the committee directed the OGRA to provide all relevant documents to the members within two weeks for their perusal so that the committee could fix responsibility against those OGRA officials who violated the ban policy.

The committee also expressed its grave concern for not releasing funds for on-going schemes of gas in the country.

The committee directed OGRA to write a letter immediately to SNGPL and SSGCL indicating de-freezing of funds for existing gas schemes to clear confusion among the stakeholders.

The committee observed that powers to permit releasing of funds should be the prerogative of Ministry of Petroleum instead of the OGRA.

The committee was informed it was evident that no new provisional licence (licence for construction) was issued after ban imposed by the federal government in February 2008.

However, the committee was told that in Balochistan there was no ban and one provisional licence was issued due to the court case.

Thus, it was informed no malpractices were made in issuance of marketing license and extension to around 500 cases.

The committee was informed that out of 466 cases, 452 were provisional license holder before imposition of ban and were converted into marketing licenses for a period of 15 years under CNG rules 1992.

The remaining 14 cases, it was informed, were provisional licenses for Balochistan and one court case.

The meeting was attended by Jamshaid Ahmed Dasti, Sh. Aftab Ahmad, Rana Afzal Hussain, Mir Ahmdan Khan Bugti, Abdul Waseem, Syed Haider Ali Shah, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Asghar Ali Jatt, Ch. Muhammad Barjees Tahir, Mohammad Usman Adovcate, Nawab Ali Wasan, Nawab Muhammad Yusuf Talpur, MNAs and senior officers of the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resoruces, OGRA, SNGPL and cabinet division.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011