SSGC directed not to include extra charges in consumer bills

QUETTA:

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Monday declared all additional charges by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in consumer bills null and void.

Justice Kamran Malakhail of the BHC directed the SSGC not to include additional charges in the consumers’ bills. This order has come after the SSGC included standard charges, extra charges and other charges in the recently issued gas bills to domestic and commercial consumers across Balochistan.

The court heard the case about excessive SSGC bills to consumers in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan. Senior lawyer, Syed Nazeer Agha Advocate had submitted a petition challenging extra charges in the gas bills by the company.

During the hearing, the Federal Secretary Petroleum and Chairman Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (OGDCL) narrowly escaped arrest warrants by the court.

Justice Malakhail once ordered the issuance of arrest warrants for two key officers in the federal government.

However, counsels for the officers assured that all orders of the court would be implemented in letter and spirit. Subsequently, the court withdrew arrest warrants for the federal secretary petroleum and chairman OGDCL.

Briefing the media men outside the court, Syed Nazeer Agha urged consumers not to pay extra charges for the month of April and May to the SSGC.

He said the court has also directed the establishment of a special desk to address the grievances of consumers who have received heavy bills from the company.

A consumer bill from Karachi was also produced before the court. The bill was only Rs200. The court questioned the company that why Balochistan's consumers were being issued excessive bills.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till June 19th. The court directed the high-ups of the SSGC to appear before the court and explain their positions about the excessive billings.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2023.