Crackdown on gas theft launched, says minister

LAHORE: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) has launched a crackdown on gas theft to stem losses, said Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ghulam Sarwar Khan here Monday.

Addressing a press conference her Monday, the minister briefed the media that a crackdown on gas thieves was being initiated irrespective of any discrimination. He stated that company was working to control gas leakage and improvement in customer services. He acknowledged that annual Unaccounted For Gas (UFG) losses were hovering Rs48 billion. The gas utilities are already under the burden of whooping Rs157 billion due to losses. The losses of SSGC stands at 13 percent while SNGPL UFG are recorded at 11 percent. We are contemplating to establish a specialised police force to curb gas theft, which is a worrisome development. He made it clear that present government would not tolerate gas theft anymore. He added that gas losses were witnessed at higher levels in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Provinces. We are in contact with the provincial governments of both these provinces to take effective measures against gas theft. We are aiming to bring losses of gas utilities close to 7 percent benchmark set by Ogra, he maintained. The minister added that the excessive billing complaints would be addressed on merit after the outcome of investigations. It is correct that inflated bills of gas were due to change in slabs, he said.

mobile app: Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) on Monday launched a mobile application ‘Clean Lahore’ in collaboration with Punjab Information and Technology Board.

The launching ceremony of the app was held at LWMC head office in which minister for local government & law Raja Basharat was the guest of honor. Secretary local government capt (R) Saif Anjum and Managing Director Khalid Nazir, GM Operations Sohail Malik, Senior Manager Usman Jarral and other officials from LWMC and PITB also participated.

Raja Basharat said LWMC was working very dedicatedly and efficiently. “I personally monitor sanitation condition in the city which is very commendable. I congratulate LWMC and PITB for making the app which would help citizens in resolving their complaints,” said Raja Basharat.

He said, “The government on the directions of Chief Minister Punjab intends to expand the scope of waste management companies and in the first week of April, the government will launch an independent rural sanitation programme other than the already existing waste management system.

Talking about the ongoing strike of workers of LWMC, he said the issues have been resolved and the contractor would get all pending payments within the current week.

The MD LWMC said the company was working dedicatedly to provide a clean and neat environment and the app was user friendly and currently for android mobile users only.

The objectives behind launching the mobile application were to facilitate public the MD said, adding that, LWMC was using information technology in its day-to-day operations with the intent to achieve efficiency, transparency and effective control.

LWMC considers Information Technology as a paramount and pivotal tool for achieving its vision and Clean Lahore mobile application holds IT based system which covers two components android & web application, he added.

The MD said the application would not only be utilised for complaint lodging but it would also be used by LWMC staff for the better management & redress of complaints. He asked the citizens to use the app and lodge waste related complaint. On the successful submission and compliance with the complaint, system will sent an sms to the complainant, the GM added. Citizens will also be able to lodge complaints about sweeper’s absence, bad condition of cleanliness, unattended container, removal of dead animal, open heaps, open plot filled with waste.