Lower Dir residents decry inflated gas bills

TIMERGARA: Residents of Lower Dir district on Monday rejected the inflated bills sent by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and threatened to take to the streets if the bills were not withdrawn.

Speaking at a news conference at Timergara Press Club, member district council Alamzeb Advocate, Naib Nazim Neighbourhood Council Timergara-1 Shahab Ahmad, Daulat Khan, Attaullah, Naeemullah, Muhabbat Shah and others said they can't afford to pay the bills as these were beyond their sources of income.

"Last month I took a loan from my relatives to submit Rs29,400 bill but, the SNGPL this time has sent me Rs45,000 bill," said Naeemullah, a labourer in Timergara bazaar. Attaullah, a welder, said he had received a bill for his domestic meter worth Rs16,000 which he can't afford to pay.

"I am a Class-IV employee at a government department and SNGPL has sent me Rs24,000 bill whereas I receive Rs23,000 monthly salary," said Daulat Khan. Muhabbat Shah, a senior journalist from Timergara, said he had received the gas bill amounting to Rs52,000, which was higher than all bills he paid during last 10 months collectively.

"We reject this much-touted 'change' of Prime Minister Imran Khan to snatch morsel from our children," he added. The speakers on the occasion said there was almost 150 per cent increase in gas bills and it was unacceptable to them.