SNGPL’s cylinder project gets lukewarm response

Rawalpindi : The residents of Rawalpindi have rejected Sui Northern gas Pipeline Limited's (SNGPL) plan to provide Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders to consumers to control gas shortfall. The consumers have declared it an extra financial burden on the public and appealed to the SNGPL to provide natural gas to domestic consumers on a priority basis.

The SNGPL has advised consumers to dial the online number 1012 to book an LPG cylinder. The SNGPL will provide LPG cylinders at a controlled rate fixed by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) at Rs204 per kilogram. The SNGPL wanted to provide gas to its consumers and also wanted to break the monopoly of LPG dealers they were selling gas in ‘black’. SNGPL Senior General Manager (Rawalpindi Region) Syed Mukhtar Shah told ‘The News’ that consumers can book their cylinders. “We will provide them LPG on controlled rates,” he claimed. The consumers have gotten gas connections by paying big amounts as demand notices. The amount of urgent demand notice was Rs30000 while the normal amount of demand notice was Rs6000. Thousands of people have applied for gas connections by paying an Rs30,000 urgent fee but in vain. Now, SNGPL officials are advising people to pay Rs7,500 for a cylinder fee. The consumers will purchase a cylinder at Rs7,500 and filled with gas by paying Rs3000 extra. The consumers will pay LPG prices and utility bills of SNGPL as well.

Talking to ‘The News’ consumers belonging to different walks of life rejected this project and appealed to higher authorities to provide them full pressure gas. People were already facing financial burdens in this famine-like situation, how they could pay Rs6,000 to Rs9,000 per month in buying LPG through SNGPL. SNGPL officials should think about to provide full pressure gas to its consumers through SNGPL supply.