Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will provide gas to 220 towns and villages in Sindh and Balochistan during the current financial year ending June 2007. This was stated by the Managing Director SSGC Munawar Baseer Ahmad while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Local Government and Rural Development at company's head office here on Monday.
The committee included Chairman of the committee, Senator Muhammad Sarwar Khan Kakar, Mrs Kalsoom Perveen, Ms Saadia Abbasi, Abdul Razik, Mir Wali Muhammad Badani, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Muhammad Ghufran Khan, Mir Mohabat Khan Marri, Ammar Ahmed Khan, Maulana Rahat Khan and Sahibzada Khalid Khan.
Baseer said that in the year 2000, not a single town or villages in Balochistan got gas connection while in 2001 only ten towns in Balochistan came on SSGC's supply network and nine in Sindh.
He said that SSGC under its comprehensive 5-year plan has sharply increased its gas supply to neglected areas in the past. Balochistan is on top priority under President Musharraf's gas supply programme. The senators pointed out that low gas pressure was causing problems for people in Balochistan particularly in Quetta and other towns.
They asked the company to start gas supply to neglected areas in Balochistan as they had no cheaper source of heating in winter season. They also asked the company to install LNG plants in remote areas where piped gas cannot be supplied. Senator Sarwar Khan Kakar said that the committee will strongly recommend the release of funds under KPP for new projects in Balochistan.
Responding to the complaint of low gas pressure, MD SSGC said that by 2009 gas supply to Balochistan will increase from 98 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 150 mmfcd through a new pipeline, eliminating all the complaints. He said that most of the projects in Balochistan were completed through company's own funds.
He pointed out that SSGC was waiting for the release of funds under Khushhal Pakistan Projects for undertaking gas supply project to Naushki, Hanna-Orak, Qila Saifullah-Chaman and Pishin.
Baseer urged Senate standing committee to use its influence for the release of funds for these projects, which are ready for implementation. Replying to a query, he said that people living in various gas producing areas like Sui, Dera Bugti and Pir Koh were getting free of cost gas supply.
Talking of development plan, he said that Rs 10 billion would be spent for gas distribution expansion during 2006-2007. He said the company has reduced gas distribution losses from 8 percent to 6 percent. He pointed out that SSGC has prepared a satellite image of Karachi for its installations while the similar images for Hyderabad and Quetta were under preparation.
Chairman standing committee appreciated the performance of gas company and said that it has completed gas supply projects to Balochistan during a short time. He said that the nation was proud of SSGC and the committee views its work with respect. The committee advised SSGC to recruit more people in Balochistan and regularise the contract employees.