Court issues notice to SSGC on tariff hike

Consumer files plea against increase in gas tariff, meter rent

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has barred Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) from increasing power tariff for now.

A two-member bench led by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi heard the plea against the increase in gas tariffs and meter charges in the gas bills. The petitioner, Tariq Mansoor Advocate, argued that SSGC has manipulated the gas bills by making changes in various slabs, dividing citizens into protected and non-protected categories.

SSGC has unlawfully fixed a meter rent of Rs460, which will be collected in the four winter months and a formula has been devised to collect it in other months of the year as well, the petitioner said.

Collecting an additional Rs460 from every consumer is entirely unjust, as only consumers in Karachi are being charged over Rs11 billion. Therefore, it is requested to restrain SSGC from collecting unlawful fixed charges.

The court has issued notices to SSGC and restrained it from taking any illegal actions against consumers, demanding a response from SSGC authorities by October 12. The petitioner had requested the curt to direct the respondents that any SRO, notifications for pricing tariff, changes, enhancement, increase by respondents under their respective lawful jurisdictions in any form under relevant statutes or law, rules, regulations can only be made prospectively and not retrospectively as per the dictum laid down by the Supreme Court.

The petitioner claimed that any such imposition or enhancement of tariff or charges so claimed or charges by the respondents are illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and are hereby liable to be refunded or adjusted to the undersigned in future bills forthwith from the date of its imposition.

The petitioner also urged the court to direct the respondent not to disconnect, harass, threat, hinder supply of gas, restrain, obstruct, intimidate undersigned and his family members and to issue correct SSGC Bill per month at actual usage without any discrimination and to adjust the refundable amount in future monthly ills of the undersigned as consumer accordingly.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2023.