ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has finally taken serious notice of the artificial increase in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices by the LPG marketing companies, distributors and retailers on receiving various complaints across the country.

According to the Ogra spokesman, the end consumers have filed complaints with the Ogra against the LPG plant operators and retailers that they were selling the commodity in the range of Rs 250-300 per kg against Rs 204 per kg fixed by the Ogra.

The spokesperson said that the Ogra enforcement teams have been mobilised to take cognisance of the matter and to ensure the sale of LPG at notified prices to provide relief to the end consumers and to initiate action against the violators under the relevant rules.

The Ogra enforcement teams have visited various LPG plants recently in the vicinity of Lahore and Islamabad to check/monitor LPG prices and safety. During the visit, all LPG plants were directed to ensure proper display of LPG prices at prominent places and to ensure that they will not overcharge LPG prices from end consumers. Further, written instructions to this effect have also been issued to all LPG plants across the country.

The Ogra has also decided that its enforcement teams along with district administration will remain in the field during the ongoing winter season to ensure sale/availability of LPG on Ogra’s notified prices.

LPG is mainly used in hilly and remote areas of the country where natural gas supply is not available. The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan, remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh are totally relying on LPG for cooking purposes, while people in urban areas, especially in winter also use LPG owing to the gas load shedding.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023