The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) has rejected the three-day gas loadshedding to the CNG stations in the Punjab. Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Company Limited (SNGPL) on Saturday has announced three days gas curtailment for CNG sector, which it suspended during the last week of Ramazan, as a step to help people to reach their home towns for celebrating Eid.
But, now when the Eid holidays are over SNGPL announced to revert to three days gas load management plan a week for CNG Sector in Punjab. The company has also announced that it would try to bring it down to two-and-a-half days a week in the region. Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council of APCNGA while rejecting the three-day gas loadshedding for CNG stations of Punjab by Managing Director (MD) SNGPL said that the Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain had promised owners of CNG stations that the government would resort to load-management for two days for the CNG stations of Punjab.
Referring to the Petroleum Minister's promise Paracha said that the minister pledged with the association that two days gas curtailment for CNG sector during Qadirpur Gas field Annual Turn Around (ATA) which he announced at a press conference in Lahore, consequently SNGPL issued two day gas curtailment notices to CNG stations in Punjab. Now when Qadirpur ATA has been completed and gas supply has been restored, the prompt announcement from MD SNGPl for three days gas curtailment for CNG is totally unacceptable to the association.
"This announcement is against SNGPLs own notifications, against the directives of the Petroleum Minister and violation of the minister's promises. We did not receive three days load-shedding notice, we would follow the last notice issued by SNGPL according to which the CNG stations in Punjab would remain close for two days a week in Punjab", he added. Paracha added that it is also noticeable that whenever Petroleum minister goes abroad the SNGPL refrain from his orders, which creates problems for the consumers.