The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) will print photos of meter-reading on utility bills, like electricity bills, to facilitate consumers and end excessive billing complaints. "Following directives of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, the gas companies will place photos of meter-reading on utility bills," official sources in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources told APP.
They said the gas companies had assured the committee of complete compliance of the directives issued after taking serious note of domestic gas consumers' complaints about flaws in the billing system. They expressed confidence that printing of the photos on utility bills would ensure fair play and help remove complaints of consumers as majority were related to billings.
Answering a question, the sources said the two gas companies had detected around 133,106 gas theft cases in their respective operational areas during the last three years. From July 2013 to August 2016, the SNGPL identified 130,516 theft cases, involving 18,031 mmcf (million cubic feet) gas and Rs 10,496 million in stolen money. While, it identified gas theft of 22,819 mmcf by non-consumers and 34,154 mmcf in law and order affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
They said that the SSGCL had detected 1,265 theft cases, registered 118 FIRs (first information reports), charged 713 mmcf gas and recovered Rs 613 million from the industrial pilferers. Whereas, they said, the company identified 1,335 cases, registered 91 FIRs against the domestic gas pilferers, who stolen 6,689 mmcf gas amounting to Rs 1,1992 million, during last three years.
Replying to another question, the sources informed that SNGPL had yet to recover around Rs 123.187 billion from industrial defaulters. "As on August 2016, K-Electric, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Pakistan Steel Mills, two independent power producers (IPPs), 11 captive power units, eight compressed natural gas (CNG) stations and three different industries owe Rs 123.187 million on account of non-payment of gas utility bills," they said.
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