3-day gas suspension: OGRA let off the hook by court

ECC took the decision on its own, told Ogra to implement gas load management plan, Muzaffar tells LHC.

LAHORE: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) did not take Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on board while preparing a plan to manage the gas load, the high court was told on Wednesday.

Ogra member Mansoor Muzaffar was answering Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah’s question bout whether recommendations had been sought from Ogra before implementing the loadshedding plan. “The ECC took the decision and Ogra was asked to implement it,” Muzaffar said.

The judge observed that if the government did not want to seek Ogra’s input, the authority should be wrapped up. “Had the Federation consulted experts from Ogra, the gas load mismanagement could have been avoided,” Justice Shah said.

“A few ministers get together for a cup of tea and make decisions without any idea about what their consequences will be,” the judge remarked.

He then exempted the Ogra member from appearing in future hearings, saying that even though the authority had not done its job, the court would.

The judge directed Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to produce record of gas consumption by the industrial sector and CNG filling stations. He also asked for figures showing how much gas was supplied to industries and stations as well as the amount of gas they did not get during the 3-day loadshedding.

The hearing was adjourned till Thursday (today).

The judge was hearing a writ petition filed by All Pakistan Compressed Natural Gas Association (APCNGA) against the weekly three-day loadshedding.

The association, through its central chairman Ghias Abdullah Paracha, submitted that the government had no authority to order or implement the loadshedding schedule. The court has been asked to set aside the three-day weekly loadshedding by declaring it unconstitutional and in violation of fundamental rights of citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2011.