ISLAMABAD: The number of court cases involving billions of rupees has increased by 240 cases against the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) during the financial year 2020-21 as compared with the previous financial year.
On Friday, the OGRA released its annual report 2020-21 on its role as a regulator to safeguard public interest in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
The number of court cases was 822 in annual report 2020-21 against 582 cases during the previous year - around 41 per cent increased in one year.
Similarly, pending cases in 2020-21 were 490 against only 32 in previous year. The report does not mention the amount involved in the court cases.
The hiring of counsels also doubled in 2020-21 as 435 against 207 in the previous year. Highest cases, 301, were filed in the High Court of Sindh in 2020-21, which had been only 73 in the previous year. 277 cases were pending in SHC.
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In the apex court, 13 cases were registered in 2020-21 and nine were pending. As many as 286 cases were filed in Lahore High Court and 95 were pending. Around 37 cases were filed in Islamabad High Court and 24 pending; 58 cases were filed in Peshawar High Court and 24 pending; four cases were filed in Balochistan High Court and one pending, 121 cases were filed civil courts and two in WM, Accountability Court, etc.
In 2020-21, OGRA granted licenses and performed other regulated activities as under: OGRA granted a licence to:
For (RLNG) M/s K-Electric Limited for construction and operation of natural gas /RLNG transmission pipeline from Port Qasim to KE’s Bin Qasim Power Complex; M/s Tabeer Energy Marketing (Private) Limited; M/s Energas Marketing (Private) Limited; M/s Shell Energy Pakistan (Private) Limited to carry out regulated activity for Sale of Natural Gas/ RLNG to the consumers; M/s Energas Terminal (Private) Limited for construction and operation of 30-inch diameter and nine-km long Natural Gas/ RLNG transmission pipeline from ENERGAS Terminal to SSGC’s Custody Transfer Station at Port Qasim.
OGRA for the first time granted five licences for transportation of LPG through road bowsers.
For (Oil): During the fiscal year the Oil Marketing Companies built an additional oil storage of 95,379 MT including 50,019 MT of Motor gasoline and 45,360 MT of High Speed Diesel in the country.
OGRA entertained consumers’ complaints against natural gas, LPG, CNG, and oil companies free of cost. These complaints were resolved expeditiously and in judicious manner by providing remedial measures.
OGRA resolved 8,272 complaints out of 8,361 during FY 2020-21 and provided financial relief of Rs118.31 million and a number of 1,341 gas connections were provided to consumers being due against their complaints.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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