Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has cut off gas supply to Pakistan Railways (PR) loco shed workshop and railways colonies due to non payment of outstanding dues and late payment surcharges amounting to Rs 300 million. As many as 460 residential plots were illegally allotted to the 180 railway's officers, most of them have died and plots were sold to other people.
This was disclosed in the meeting of Monitoring and Implementation Committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held at Pakistan Railways Headquarter on Saturday under the chairmanship of Yasmeen Rehman (MNA), Convenor of the Committee. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (MNA), Nadeem Afzal Chan (MNA) Chairman Railways, General Manager Operation Saeed Akthar and other high officials were also present. The SNGPL has warned Pakistan Railways to clear its outstanding gas bills and late payment surcharge amounting to Rs 300 million shortly, failing which the gas supply would be disconnected.
According to SNGPL Haseeb Khan, SNGPL has been exercising utmost restraint in disconnecting supply of gas to railway colonies so that salaried class as well as the railway workers may not suffer. However, it has become impossible for the SNGPL to continue gas supply to railway colonies without receiving any payment.
He said the SNGPL has repeatedly issued notices to Pakistan Railways and also held meetings with the authorities concerned for making payment of gas bills but it was all in vain.
However, Pakistan Railways authorities have assured SNGPL management for payment of Rs 100 million with immediate effect and remaining Rs 200 millions in the next coming six months except payment of regular monthly bill. After the payment and late payment surcharge the gas supply to the Railways colonies would be restored. The General Manager SNGPL Lahore assured it.
Highlighting the plot scandal, Yasmeen Rehman (MNA) said that three to six plots were allotted to a single railways officer. The committee has been constituted to investigate the plot scandal. An action would be taken against the culprits involved in the case without any discrimination, he added. Responding to a question, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (MNA) said 198 locomotive were not in working condition because contaminated engine oil was used. An inquiry committee had been formed which had found out that three Railway employees were involved in the crime.
In response to another question regarding the theft of radiators, he said that eleven radiators of railways engine were stolen with the help of employees .Two FIRs were registered against the culprits and two out of eleven stolen radiators had been traced out from Mianwali. He further said, "In order to avoid the recurrence of such events documentation process had been improved to address procedural flaws. Besides a policy was made to deal with the issue of cannibalization and shared with all the Divisional Superintendents (DS), he observed".
He pointed out that railways rules were not properly followed. The committee directed to the concerned authorities that proper system must be created for recording of parts being removed from and fitted in the locomotives. "The frequency of surprise checks, both by executive and police officers may be enhanced and possibilities of introducing computer generated gate pass be considered to address the issue of fake gate passes," he said. Inspector General Pakistan Railways Police, Syed Abne Hussain said that both cases were transferred to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Islamabad for further investigation.
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