Senate Standing Committee on Government Assurance has grilled the officials of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for not providing records (letters and receipts of Cheque) regarding demand note for supplying gas to I-9 sector, Islamabad.
The committee met with Agha Shahbaz Khan Durrani in the chair at Parliament House on Wednesday. State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Senators Azam Khan Swati, Saleem Zia, Sardar Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhel, Secretary Establishment Division Nadeem Ahsan Afzal, Secretary Cabinet Division Raja Hassan and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Maroof Afzal attended the meeting.
The committee discussed and reviewed overall progress of development work in Sector I-16, Islamabad including the supply of natural gas and electricity, and 32 petitions regarding the enhancement of upper age limit for the CSS examination as well as assurance given in this regard.
The CDA Chairman had assured the committee to submit demand note of Sui Northern Gas Limited (SNGPL) till July 15, 2015 for providing gas to I-16 Sector Islamabad, but the demand note was not submitted by the CDA. When Chairman Committee Agha Shahbaz Khan Durrani inquired from the CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal why demand note was not submitted in spite of assurance to the committee. The Chairman CDA told the committee that a cheque of Rs 14 million was sent to the SNGPL as the price of demand note but civic body did not accept. Now, the gas department increased the price of demand note, he said. The Chairman CDA also presented a receipt of cheque in the meeting.
The Chairman CDA said that the SNGPL has increased demand note fee to Rs 18 million. The SNGPL should accept the cheque of Rs 14 million and then other amount of Rs 4 million would be submitted after informal budget approval.
General Manager SNGPL Qazi Muhammad Saleem told the committee that the department had increased the demand note fee due to increase in the price of gas. When the chairman asked the SNGPL official that his department has written any letter to the CDA for increasing the price of gas, the Chairman also said that a copy of letter and cheque should presented to the committee, but he could not produce the same. The official said that he did not bring with him the record and he would prove it later on.
The chairman grilled the official for not providing record and not informing the CDA about increase in price of gas. He also directed the SNGPL and CDA to resolve the issue within two weeks for supplying gas to I-16 sectors.
While discussing the issue regarding to the age of candidates for CSS, Committee Chairman Agha Khan Durrani said that he discussed the matter with the Chairman Senate, the Leader of House in the Senate and the Minster for Parliamentary Affairs and he would inform in written to the members about the decision.