Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Division, which met here under the chairmanship of Dewan Ashiq Hussain Bokhari, showed unity against “bureaucrats’ nexus to fail the democratic process.”
They warned the bureaucrats that if issues were not resolved they will take up the case with the National Assembly speaker in the next house meeting.
The panel also constituted a special committee to investigate blocking of funds for new and existing gas supply schemes by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). The committee would finalise its recommendations within 15 days.
The lawmakers said that Ogra, through a notification on May 24, had imposed restrictions on Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in carrying out development schemes which were approved by the prime minister in the previous fiscal year.
MNA Malik Nawab Sher Waseer, who would head the investigation committee, said that Ogra had stopped the release of funds to parliamentarians for six months for completion of gas supply schemes in their respective constituencies. Consequently, the funds lapsed in June and a summary for new releases for these schemes were sent to the prime minister for approval.
Ogra clarified that there is no ban on the ongoing gas supply schemes and SNGPL and SSGC could start work on these schemes.
Officials of SNGPL and SSGC said they required a new legislation to stop incidents of gas theft and needed Rs27 billion to complete ongoing gas supply schemes.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2011.
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