Relocating sites of CNG stations despite ban: parliamentary panel orders thorough probe

The contentious relocation of CNG stations sites in collaboration with some Ogra high-ups finally compelled a parliamentary panel to order thorough probe into the matter and fix responsibility on officials involved in the scam.
NA standing committee on petroleum and natural resources which here on Thursday also drubbed oil and gas regulatory authority (Ogra) for granting 476 licences to set up CNG stations in the last two years despite ban due to gas shortage in the country, especially to meet the need of industrial and domestic consumers.
The committee directed Ogra to provide complete record of CNG licences, granted after ban imposed in 2008 in the meeting scheduled for July 12-13. "The country is facing severe gas shortage... [And] we are deadly opposed to CNG business for vehicular consumption in these circumstances," secretary petroleum Ijaz Chaudhry told the committee.
The legislators, perturbed over irresponsible behaviour of the regulatory body also alleged that some Ogre officials had received bribe ranging between Rs 4 to 5 million to relocate sites of CNG stations according to the will of the concerned parties. Barjees Tahir, a member of the committee said that Ogra had granted 306 licences in 2009-10 and 170 in 2010-11 despite ban on new connections to CNG stations.
He said that Ogra has granted permission for relocations of CNG stations to its blue-eyed while ban was just for common man, who is already facing plethora of problems in making investment. Tahir said that whole matter should be investigated and cases should be registered against officials involved in the matter. He said that relocation of CNG stations sites was done without any policy direction which was a unique example of flouting rules and regulations.
Haneef Abbasi, a PML-N lawmaker who is a member of the committee alleged that Ogra transferred CNG stations sites by allegedly taking bribe of Rs 4 to 5 million per station. Acting chairman Ogra Mansoor Muzaffar said that this is a fact that there was no policy pertaining to relocation of CNG stations sites, but it was deliberately done which was against the law.
He said that government had imposed a ban on new connections of CNG stations in 2008. However, Ogra was asked not to stop work on those connections of CNG stations which were in the pipeline. There may be some cases, he added, which required proper probe but work on those cases that were in pipeline has also been stopped. The Orgra chairman gave a lingering proposal to form a committee to probe the issue for which he showed his readiness to give full support in nabbing the alleged culprits.
He also told the committee that he is very much alive to the situation, saying that he had written to Cabinet Division, pinpointing that transfer of CNG stations sites was done without any policy. Secretary Petroleum Ijjaz Chaudhry said that government was focusing on provision of more gas to fertiliser sector. The price of urea has gone up from Rs 700 to Rs 1, 450 per bag, he added, due to non-availability of gas.
He also informed the committee that Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project was in progress and security team of a German consultant firm had reached Gwadar. He said that government was also working on import of LNG, besides planning to hire services of Baloch locals for security purposes so that work could be initiated on different fields.