Senators concerned over Mari Petroleum’s behaviour

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Sub-committee on Energy (Petroleum Division) on Friday expressed serious concern and anger over, what it called, the Mari Petroleum Company’s pathetic behaviour with the public representatives who approached to the company’s officials for resolving the issues of public interest.

Senators complained to the committee that as the company is being run by retired military personals, they do not give heed to the public demands; despite they are getting huge salaries from the public resources of the country.

“High-ups of the Mari gas are retired military persons, their behaviour is unacceptable, and the committee should take notice on it,” Senator Usman Kakar asked the committee. He added, “We had tried to contact one of the officials for seven times, but he did not respond.”

Senator Sardar Muhammad Azam Musakhel convened the meeting and took serious note of the issue and sough report from the company within a week. Expressing displeasure over the inauguration of schemes of gas supply to five union councils in Bannu district by MNA Akram Khan Durrani, convener of the committee said that the senator who had made hectic efforts for the last three years for gas supply schemes, the inauguration much be done through him.

He directed the SNGPL that as Baz Muhammad Khan had made countless efforts for these schemes, so he must be taken in confidence regarding on these schemes. Senator Baz Muhammad Khan asked Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to give him the inauguration dates of various gas schemes. The committee advised that on these schemes documents, the name of the Senator Baz Khan be included.

MD SNGPL said that it is not our procedure to include name of any MNA or Senator in our tenders, and the schemes which MNA Akram Khan Durrani had inaugurated, we have no role in it. He further said that as we have no gas pipeline of 8 inch diameter, so we cannot allow them to be inaugurated. Once we get them, then we can inaugurate these schemes.

Senator Sardar Muhammad Azam Musakhel said that if there is pipeline or not, at any cost, we will inaugurate these schemes in March 2018.

Regarding the complaint of non-employment of locals, vehicles and deforestation conducted by OGDCL and other gas exploring companies, MD OGDCL Zahid Mir said that for seismic operations, people are being hired locally according to the direction of Supreme Court and with the approval of the relevant MNAs and deputy commissioners. However, vehicles are being hired under PEPRA rules from prequalified companies. Besides, for compensation of losses to the crops and properties during the company operations, they are paid according to the DC’s specified rates.

Convener of the committee said that for security of the oil and gas exploration companies, along with the FC, police and levies forces should also be included. The committee decided that for this purpose, we would write letters to the interior ministry and chief secretaries.