ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) public hearing was attended by more than 250 people, senior management of the SNGPL, and representatives of domestic, commercial, industrial and business community.

They have raised issues of inadequate gas pressure, fault volume, pressure factor, excessive billing, meter connections, meter tempering, new gas connections and installations of gas pipe lines.

Also the matters relating to the CNG industry, contractual load and misbehaviour of the SNGPL officials, etc., were raised during the public hearing. From the team of the OGRA, Member Gas Muhammad Arif, Imran Ghaznavi, Senior Executive Director (Corporate and Media Affairs), Shahzad Iqbal, Senior Executive Director (Consumers Affairs Division), Misbah Yaqub, Senior Executive Director (Gas), Dr Abdul Basit Qureshi (Registrar), and Abdul Rab Khan, Joint Executive Director (Complaints-Peshawar Region) attended the hearing.

The Member Gas took cognisance of the matter and directed the SNGPL to take immediate actions and report to the OGRA. The Authority also assured the complainants that their genuine issues are being addressed, and the SNGPL will be directed to take remedial measures within 30 days after scrutinising the same by a committee within 30 days.

More than 60 complaints and written applications were submitted with the OGRA Officers.

The President of Sarhad Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Hasnain Khurshid Ahmed, and the general public appreciated the OGRA and said that this exercise is most beneficial to resolve the problems of common natural gas consumers with speedy resolution of matters.

It also brought in front the accountability of gas utility company before the public and positive image building of the OGRA being oil and gas regulator of the sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022