Illegal relocation of CNG stations sites: National Assembly body summons former Ogra chairman

A parliamentary panel on Friday summoned former chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), Tauqeer Sadiq, for briefing on alleged embezzlement on illegal relocation of CNG stations sites during his term of service. Sadiq, who is also brother-in-law of ruling Pakistan People''s Party (PPP) secretary general Jehangir Badar, was sent on forced leave on large-scale bungling being chairman Orga.
National Assembly standing committee on petroleum and natural resources, which met here with Talib Nakai in the chair, took Orga officials to task for alleged malpractices in illegal relocation of CNG stations sites. The committee expressed grave concern over the presentation given by Ogra officials, as some members of the committee allegedly accused Ogra officials of taking over Rs 4 to 5 million per case of CNG stations sites relocation.
Acting chairman of Ogra Mansoor Muzaffar Ali told the committee that the then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had imposed a ban in February 2008 on issuance of new provisional licence for setting up CNG stations, except those where the relevant no objection certificates (NoCs) had been obtained and some investment put in place.
He said that if a ban had been imposed on issuance of marketing licences along with extension of provisional licences, there should have been no CNG licence in the pipeline. The committee observed that there had been rampant corruption and bribery ranging from Rs 4 to 5 million per case in relocation of CNG stations sites. The committee directed Tauqeer Sadiq and vice chairman to apprise the committee in the next meeting on the issue of CNG stations sites'' relocation.
While rejecting the information provided by Ogra, the committee directed to provide complete record pertaining to relocation of CNG stations sites in the upcoming meeting to be held on August 18. It was surprising to note that Ogra officials tried their level best to justify the relocation of CNG stations sites in a presentation made to the committee, which started a new controversy with strong criticism by the members of the committee.
Haneef Abbasi, a member of the committee, reiterated his earlier stance that Ogra had given extension licences of CNG stations in 37 cases that had expired long ago, on which, the committee issued directives to present complete record of such licences. The committee also criticised poor gas load-shedding policy. It said that gas supply position in Punjab worsened due to diversion of 100 mmcfd gas from Qadirpur field to Engro fertiliser plant.
The panel said that the government has now decided to supply gas to Engro from SSGC system by diverting 60 mmcfd gas from Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC). The committee said that the government would pay the price differential between gas and furnace oil to the KESC and the plan would help minimising gas load shedding in Punjab. The panel expressed serious concerns over provision of gas to Engro fertiliser plants from Qadirpur gas field against directives of Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) that has worsened gas load shedding in Punjab.