Gas supply to textile sector whole year: GSA violation hurting domestic sector

The gas supply to textile sector for the whole year in violation of gas sale agreement (GSA) is being termed as the 'major reason' of low or no gas supply to domestic consumers in the country. The textile sector despite contract with the government that no gas will be supplied to it from December to February every year, is being supplied gas during the said months, which is creating severe gas shortage for the domestic sector.
Sources told Business Recorder that the government was in contract with the textile sector that gas would be supplied to the sector only for nine months (from March to November) while for the rest of the three months, no gas would be supplied to the sector at all. But despite the contract, the industrial sector is still being supplied gas from December to February. "But it is really pathetic that they are protesting/contesting for a favour which they really don't deserve," the sources commented.
According to the sources, earlier gas was not being supplied to the industrial sector including textile sector for four and a half day per week but now the load shedding has been limited to three days a week. "The gas consumption by domestic sector increases during winter due to the excessive use of gas heaters especially in the months of December and January but due to the supply to the industrial sector, the required gas to domestic consumers can not be fulfilled," they added.
They said that due to the shortage of gas to domestic sector, the poor masses are compelled to purchase LPG filled cylinders while the distributors of LPG also want to have wind fall profit by increasing prices on weekly basis without any check as current LPG price is Rs 140 per kg. The sources said, "currently we are facing a shortfall of 650-700 MMCF in the overall supply of gas but we are hopeful that after February, we will overcome the shortfall."
There are two gas distribution companies in Pakistan; SSGC and SNGPL. SNGPL covers the areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) while SSGC supplies gas to the areas of Sindh and Balochistan. Sources told Business Recorder that the overall gas load allocated to SSGC was about 1103 MMCF while 1850 MMCF to SNGPL.
SNGPL started giving gas connections in excess of its existing capacity on political pressure, especially during Musharraf regime. Now, due to mismanagement, the gas requirement of KP and Punjab has increased to about 2200 MMCF in summer and almost 2760 MMCF in winter. "That is why we are suffering gas load shedding in winter," they added.