Twenty-eight people were arrested on Monday on charge of gas theft.
The arrests were made in a raid at a restaurant by the district task force and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) conducted on account of the government crackdown against gas thieves.
Saleem Rizwan, a member of the task force, told The Express Tribune that a restaurant near Qadaffi Square was raided on a tip-off. He said SNGPL officials had been informed about the raid.
He said the raiding team discovered that the restaurant owners had connected an underground pipe to the pipeline that provided gas to the entire city.
He said SNGPL workers were called and the ground was dug. The team discovered 12 illegal connections serving restaurants and guest houses besides the one they were looking for.
Rizwan said the connections were severed and all the restaurants and guest houses were sealed.
He said a massive operation would now be launched in 500 square meters area around the main supply. He said an FIR had been registered against Raees Ahmed, owner of the restaurant near Qadaffi Square. Its owner had been fined Rs1 million.
He said owners of the rest of the restaurants and guest houses would also be included in the investigation.
Rizwan said the theft had been estimated at Rs12 million. He said a report would be submitted by SNGPL officials in three days.
Police said 12 of those arrested were later released after initial investigations.
FESCO severs electricity connections
The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company’s Sargodha department severed various electricity connections in the Sargodha town municipal administration on non-payment of electricity bills.
Fesco officials said a notice was issued to the Sargodha town municipal administrator to ensure that due payments were made in seven days.
They said the TMA had been warned of disconnections in case of non-payments.
On Monday, they said, Fesco cut electricity supplies of TMA office water supply, Eidgah, Islampura, Company Bagh, Tanki water supply in Satellite Town’s Block-D, Block 5, Disposal Works in Satellite Town’s Block-A and Disposal Works in Rahmanpura.
Disconnection of electricity led to disrupted water supplies in these areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2013.