Federal govt put on notice over increase in gas for CNG stations

 

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Monday issued notice to federal government in a writ petition filed against recent increase in natural gas for CNG stations.                    

A two-member bench comprising Justice Mrs Irshad Qaiser and Justice Syed Afsar Shah issued notice to Ogra, OGDCL and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources in a writ petition of All CNG Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter.                 

The petitioner lawyer Shumail Ahmad Butt submitted that the federal government had recently increased the rate of natural gas to CNG stations from Rs654 mmbtu to Rs700 mmbtu. The lawyer said that the federal government had increased the sale rate to CNG stations now in light of the announcement made in 2014.

He argued that after the 2014 announcement regarding increase in sale rate of natural gas the gas prices were considerably decreased from time to time. The lawyer submitted that the recent increase in light of the 2014 declaration was illegal and unlawful.

He further argued that the increase in sale rate would directly affect the CNG consumers as the CNG gas rates will be increased then for consumers. The lawyer prayed the court to declare the unlawful increase in sale rate of natural gas to CNG stations as illegal and void.