Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) Peshawar Region has given a deadline till June 30 to commercial consumers in the provincial metropolis to deposit their additional security otherwise their gas supply would be disconnected after the expiry of the deadline.
This was announced by General Manager, SNGPL, Peshawar Region Imdad Hussain, while addressing a press conference here at his office on Friday.
Dispelling the impression that the SNGPL has launched a drive for disconnection of gas supply of the defaulters, he said that since 2001 the efforts of the company were to recover the outstanding amount against the commercial consumers in the head of additional security.
The GM said: It is the legal responsibility of the consumers to deposit an amount equal to three months bill of the consumers in advance as clearly mentioned in section I of the agreement." However, he said that commercial consumers are applying delaying tactics in this connection.
Rejecting the contentions of the commercial consumers, who are protesting under the banner of the Traders Grand Alliance (TGA) Peshawar, he said that during a meeting of the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) last year, the representatives of the consumers pledged that if the department include interest on their already deposited amounts then they are ready to deposit the remaining security.
However, he said that despite consecutive calls and meetings, the commercial consumers have yet to deposit their additional security leaving the company with no other option then to disconnect the gas supply to them.
Justifying increase in the amount of the additional security, the general manager said that at the time of getting gas connections the security deposited was nominal as the price of the gas was also less, which has now registered a manifold increase.
He further said that at the time of giving connections to these consumers, there was no levy of the General Sales Tax (GST), which is now collected on every bill at the ratio of 15 percent. "The amount collected in the head of GST goes to the federal government," he said.
Imdad Hussain also announced that millions of rupees are outstanding against the consumers, saying that the company representatives have made it clear to the consumers that they are even ready to recover the amounts in instalments.