CNG filling stations owners asks PM for provision of gas

Islamabad: The owners of CNG filling stations from all across Pakistan have said that they are not being provided gas since one and a half years despite directives of the Prime Minister and courts which is ravaging their Rs 10 billion investments.

Mubashir Hussain and Chaudhry Liaquat, representatives of the CNG owners form Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa said that government is sending very negative signals to the investor community by depriving them of their right to run businesses.

Speaking at a press conference here, they said that on October 04, 2011 the Prime Minister had issued orders to provide gas to our CNG outlets but it could not be implemented due to friction between petroleum ministry and Ogra.

On Jan 01, 2013 the PM secretariat again issued directives for supply of gas which could not be implemented while the orders of High Courts directing implementation of PM’s orders were also violated by the all-powerful bureaucracy.

The ministry for petroleum and natural resources as well as Ogra are not interested in resolving problems, rather these warring organisations have become part of the problem, they observed.

Mubashir Hussain and Chaudhry Liaquat questioned the stance of the government that establishing new CNG stations will enhance the usage of gas; they said that new outlets will not boost consumption as it has nothing to do with expanding customers’ base.

They said that new CNG outlets will distribute load which will relieve masses that have to wait for hours to get their tanks refilled.

We are not being allowed to run businesses while made to pay for rent, salaries and mark up of the banks which is injustice and exploitation, they complained.

The CNG filling stations owners demanded of the prime minister to get his orders implemented to provide them with some relief as they are sandwiched between politicians and bureaucracy of two departments.