PPP govt is responsible for energy crises:APCNGA

Lahore: The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Thursday said that former government didn’t listened to our recommendations otherwise country would not have suffered from energy crisis.
Domestic consumer would not have braved low gas pressure while CNG, fertiliser and general industry would have been getting gas for five days a week, it said.

We still have time to save country and safeguard investments in the CNG sector, said Abid Hayat, Chairman APCNGA. Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council APCNGA, Chairman Punjab Captain (Retd) Shuja, Chairman Balochistan brig. (Retd) Iftikhar, Chairman Potohar Ashar Haleem and others were also present on the occasion.
Abid Hayat said that we were panelised for speaking truth, fake cases were registered against many CNG operators, notices were served and many outlets were forcibly closed.

Demanding independent probe in the captive power scam, he said that the policy of providing subsidised gas to 113 influential owners of private power plants took tool on country, economy and masses.
Unjust gas distribution inflicted untold miseries on 180 million masses, left thousands on industries closed, millions lost jobs and triggered brain drain, flight of capital exodus of industry, he said.
Moves of influential politicians aimed at personal welfare devalued currency, pushed up oil import bill and forced the government to carry begging bowl for the sake of survival, he said.

Lauding the move of NAB to probe captive power scam, Hayat said that the development proved beyond any dint of doubt that APCNGA’s stance on unjust gas distribution, increase in oil import bill and failure in introducing liquid gases was true.

He said that many ministries and departments repeatedly objected on provision of natural gas to captive power plants which was against the national interests but all the vital recommendations fell on deaf years.

All those who pushed country into darkness for personal benefit should be held accountable and money to the tune of trillions should be recovered from the culprits.

Speaking at the occasion, Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said that those terming captive power plants state-of-the-art are misguiding masses. These plants have efficiency level of around 18 per cent and wasting 454 mmcf gas.

Disconnecting gas to private power plants and provision to efficient power houses would have increased power generation by 2.5 thousand megawatt reducing load shedding to a great extent, he said.
Owners of captive power plants are making electricity at the cost of Rs 5 per unit and selling it at Rs 18 per unit in connivance of the government officials, he informed.

Lauding the move of NAB, he hoped that it will give direction to the power sector and ensure just distribution among all sectors including CNG, fertiliser and other industries.

Captain Shuja said that CNG stations was deprived of gas for two months in Punjab and gas provision priority list was changed frequently which was worst exploitation of the masses.

Brig. Iftikhar said that CNG sector has been operating on 100 per cent efficiency while paying highest tariff of Rs 656 while captive power plants are operating at an average of 18 per cent efficiency and paying Rs 486 as tariff.