Govt assures timely completion of IP project

Secretary reiterates commitment to project and adherence to schedule.

ISLAMABAD:

Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources Abid Saeed Friday informed the committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources that the Iran-Pakistan (IP) Gas Pipeline Project would be completed before the stipulated deadline of December 2014.

The meeting was held here at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Muhammad Yousaf.

The secretary said that the IP gas pipeline was an important project which would help the country overcome the acute gas shortages it is currently facing.

The committee recommended starting construction of power generation units in Gwadar and other suburban areas to utilise gas which would be obtained from the project for energy sector.

Managing Director (MD) Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) M ARIF HAMEED informed the committee that the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as result of the war on terror, especially in southern districts, is badly affecting the SNGPL’s sale figures.

Replying to a question by the committee, Hameed said consumers in these areas were siphoning gas by directly tapping into main lines and forcefully removing installed gas meters.

He said the in the present scenario SNGPL was unable to take action against the culprits. During past few years theft by non-consumers had emerged as another challenge for the company, which had identified large number of non consumers, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2013.

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