SNGPL disconnects 2,000 commercial connections on public demand

By Khalid Iqbal
April 06, 2024
An office of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) can be seen in this image. — SNGPL Website/File
An office of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) can be seen in this image. — SNGPL Website/File

awalpindi:At the request of consumers, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has disconnected 2,000 commercial connections in Rawalpindi because of skyrocketing rates of natural gas. Not only commercial but hundreds of domestic consumers have also requested SNGPL to disconnect their connections.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) officials on condition of anonymity told ‘The News’ that there were a total of 7,500 commercial connections here in Rawalpindi and now they have disconnected 2000 of them. Now, there are only 5,500 commercial connections in Rawalpindi, the officials claimed. They said that consumers were requesting to discontinue commercial gas connections because of high gas prices. “Government has increased natural gas rates by 850 per cent which was unaffordable for the public,” the officials said.

The officials also said that they have disconnected 3900 domestic connections in different areas of Rawalpindi as well due to non-payment. The domestic consumers were also requesting to disconnect their gas connections because of high rates, the officials said.

The SNGPL officials said that it was a profitable department but the government on the direction of the IMF was intentionally destroying it. “We are facing the loss of billions of rupees because of disconnections of domestic and commercial connections,” the officials said. “If the government will not stop increasing gas rates, SNGPL will collapse anytime,” the officials warned.

Talking to ‘The News’ consumers belonging to different walks of life said that the IMF wanted to kill the public through the stoppage of gas, electricity, water crisis, and ever-increasing inflation.

Gulzar Ahmed related to the hotel business said that he has got his gas connection disconnected due to high rates. “I was paying the gas bill of Rs30,000 or 35,000 per month normally but now SNGPL has started sending Rs200,000 to Rs280,000 gas bill per month which was unaffordable. How could I pay this huge amount of bill, therefore I have requested SNGPL to disconnect this connection, he said.