The Sui Northern Gal Pipeline Limited on Friday launched an operation to recover Rs500 million gas bill arrears from defaulting consumers and formed raiding teams for this purpose.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Operations Engineer Asim Sarwar Mir said the SNGPL had decided to recover the arrears from the defaulters including some former MNAs and MPAs. He said there were several compressed natural gas stations and factories in the region owned by people having political links. He said whenever a recovery campaign was launched against these people in the past, they employed political influence to stop it.
He said Rs35 million were due from Abid Chattha CNG station in Wanike Tarar, Rs9 million from Adil CNG station and Rs8 million from Shalimar CNG station alone. He said there were dozens of other CNG stations and factories that owed hundreds of thousands of rupees.
Mir said the committees formed to recover the arrears had been given special powers by the SNGPL general manager. He said no relaxation would be given to any defaulter.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2013.