Illegal gas connections to housing societies Inquiry submitted to MoP&NR, PAC told

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday was informed that an inquiry on awarding illegal gas connections to housing societies was submitted to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources for action against the accused.
SNGPL Area Office Islamabad detected unauthorised networks on February 27, 2008 and March 26, 2008 at Ghouri Town, Dhok Kazim, Rah-e-Sakoon National Housing Scheme, Sadat Colony, Bilal Villas, Samarzar Colony etc by area staff. The General Manager Islamabad on January 17, 2009 intimated that illegal lines of Ghouri Town, Chak Shahzad were laid by unknown persons and an amount of Rs 1.9 million had been deposited by the developers of the society on December 24, 2008.
The matter was reported to the management in July 2010 and the Ministry on November 30, 2010. The management in its reply on January 3, 2011 intimated that a detailed investigation was carried out, which put responsibility on three officers of sales section with two supervisors sales for the illegal network and provision of 76 gas connections in the areas concerned.
An audit report objected that investigation was delayed since 2008 only to facilitate safe exit to the retiring employees. As the three sales officers retired and the company was handicapped to initiate any action against them. The committee under Chair of Naveed Qamar examined the audit report of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources for year 2010-11.