CM opens 32km gas pipeline in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday inaugurated a 32km pipeline of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and the upgrading of an existing one in Achini Bala in the provincial capital at a cost of Rs1 billion.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the scheme, the chief minister said that it was one of the mega projects for Peshawar which would solve the problem of low gas pressure.

Member National Assembly Arbab Sher Ali, Minister Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra, MPAs Asif Khan, Pir Fida Muhammad, Faheem Ahmed, District Nazim Muhammad Asim Khan, SNGPL General Manager Arbab Saqib and others also attended the event, said a handout.

Speaking to the media, the chief minister said the project would upgrade the gas line along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, injecting the much-needed gas supply to the existing network to resolve the public grievances of low gas pressure, extending the facility to households, and fulfilling the demand for the industrial consumption too.

The project would ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the industrial estate Hayatabad and the eight new operation phases would remove the problem of low gas supply in the main city areas of Peshawar.

The chief minister said that rival political parties should avoid playing politics over the BRT and other mega projects, adding that the government had launched these schemes for the public welfare.

“The BRT is one such project that would resolve the issue of traffic congestion in the city,” he said.

The chief minister said the national institutions could undertake an investigation into the BRT project if there was any objection and his government would welcome it.

He said he would inaugurate the upgraded transmission line for Swat next week. “The issues related to the SNGPL have been resolved and now the provincial government will turn to Pesco to improve it along the same lines,” he added.

The chief minister warned against overbilling and said that he had requested the prime minister in his previous meeting to take notice of the issue. He said the prime minister had asked the relevant quarters to revise the overbilling and give relief to the people.

Mahmood Khan said the provincial government would support institutions, provided these institutions delivered as per people’s aspirations.

The chief minister said that implementation of the National Action Plan was continuous exercise carried out at the national level, adding the public welfare and their security was of supreme importance.