Accountability: Drive against gas theft fizzles out in Faisalabad

Officials blame political pressure as main reason.

GUJRANWALA/ FAISALABAD:

The anti gas theft campaign launched in the district in August 2013 has failed to achieve its objectives, The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) officials, the campaign failed due to indifference of government officers. They said there was also political pressure to face.

An Anti Theft Squad officer, talking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, said that special teams formed for the campaign had sealed various properties and arrested several people, including some quite influential people. He said several politicians were found to have been involved in gas theft.

However, he said, there had been pressure from some government high-ups from the district that had forced the Anti Gas Theft Squad to release some of the men and stop the campaign. The raiding teams were told not to act against influential people and their acquaintances. He said the campaign had become limited to small pilferers.

Most of them, too, he said, “got shelter” after the government announced local government elections.

He said during the last five months, the raiding teams had unearthed 1,021 gas thefts and arrested 900 pilferers. He said chronic defaulters and big thieves were unaffected.

Talking to The Express Tribune, City District Government spokesman Muhammad Amin admitted that the campaign had been stopped in the district. However, he said, the reason was that the government wanted to avoid public anger. He said the drive would be resumed after local government elections.

Scrutiny panel

In Gujranwala, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd has announced plans to recover Rs430 million from 10 major gas pilferers in the district.

For the purpose, Regional Manager Qaiser Masood Khan formed an investigation panel comprising Deputy Chief Billing and Recovery Officer Muhammad Imran Ahmed Qureshi, Senior Billing Officer Mian Muhammad Nazar, Deputy Chief Sales Officer Syed Muhammad Khan and Law Officers Chaudhry Imran Shehzad and Ziaul Haq Khan.

According to SNGPL officials, over 92 illegal and tampered connections have been found in the last few months. They said connections of two housing societies had been disconnected. Officials also confiscated 18 meters from there.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2014.