Faisalabad , 09 March 2021 : The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Faisalabad region, has reduced the supply of gas connections to the citizens by 50 percent.
According to sources, the department has been issuing demand notices for the last 8 months despite paying urgent fees.
Despite the fact of increasing gas connection demands and swelling population density, the annual quota for new connections in the Faisalabad region is reduced to 50 percent. The quota was fixed by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at one lakh, which has now been reduced by 50,000.
According to the data released by the Sui Gas Department, the number of applications received for new connections has exceeded 50,000, whereas the department has not been able to provide any new connections to these applicants.
It is really disturbing that thousands of citizens have applied for 10 years, but they have been denied their basic rights after visiting the Sui Gas Department many times. In addition, the Sui Gas Department has provided the facility to the citizens to get an urgent new connection by paying a hefty fee, but this facility has stalled for the last eight months. Because at present more than 30,000 citizens have paid the urgent fee for urgent connection of Sui Gas but despite the passage of time, demand notices are not being issued. Thus, even after submitting the urgent fee, getting a new connection has become a test for the citizens.
In this regard, the citizens gathered outside the Sui Gas Department Faisalabad region talking to the scribe said that after submitting the applications for the new connection, they have to wait for about 8 to 10 years to get the demand notice. Later, after the issuance of the demand notice, visits are made by different teams to establish the connection for which the applicant is again hung in balance for eight months. We have been going around the offices for many months but no avail. First of all, they are not allowed to enter the office. Even if they enter after praying, no officer listens to us and no staff. Where to go?, they questioned.
Sources also revealed that with the alleged connivance of Sui Gas department officials and employees, close connections are ensured to the close relatives and customers paying the offerings without any merit.
Moreover, members of the National Provincial Assembly of Faisalabad also demanded an increase in the quota on the occasion of Federal Minister Omar Ayub’s recent visit to Faisalabad. The federal minister said that immediate steps would be taken to increase the quota of new connections so that the problems faced by the consumers in this regard could be eliminated.