Inflated gas bills add to woes of consumers

Rawalpindi
After facing the dilemma of gas shortages during winter season, consumers are now facing a problem of another kind. The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) issued inflated bills to a number of consumers in the end of March. These bills are termed ‘estimated bills’ by the SNGPL authorities. The consumers blamed SNGPL billing department and meter readers for not performing their duty well for which they were paying the price in March and April.
The consumers while talking to this scribe sad that they are issued bills of around Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 in the month of March against previous bills of around Rs2,000 or Rs2,500 per month.
When The News contacted Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited General Manager (Rawalpindi Region) Muhammad Zahoor, he admitted that a large number of consumers were continuously visiting his office for reduction in gas bills. Giving a policy statement, the SNGPL GM said that they have sent inflated bills to those consumers who used excessive gas at night time during peak winter season. However, he assured, if billing department and metre readers are at fault for issuing inflated bills then stern action will be taken against them.
Talking to ‘The News’ complainants gathered at head office and regional offices castigated the SNGPL authorities for looting public with both hands. Naeem Ahmed Qureshi, a resident of Waris Khan said people in several localities in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were forced to cook food on gas cylinder that was available on exorbitant prices. Some households even use wood these days, mostly on their rooftops for food cooking. “But, bills issued by the SNGPL were shocking for us,” he claimed.
Sajida Noureen, a housewife in the state of anger said that inefficiency and indifference of the company has pushed us back to Stone Age. “We cook food by burning but now we are issued inflated bills. This is injustice,” she added.
Rawalpindi Nanbhais Welfare Association President Muhammad Shafique Qureshi said that majority of naanbhais have been using LPG cylinders or fire woods at ‘tandoors’, as SNGPL disconnected their connections. “We could not pay inflated bills therefore SNGPL discontinued our connections,” he said.