Against load-shedding: CNG dealers to protest outside CM House this week

They alleged that SSGC broke the pledge by issuing 3 consecutive notifications to increase gas suspension to 4 days

HYDERABAD:

Upset with the four-day gas load shedding every week and an expected hike in gas rates, the CNG dealers in Sindh have decided to protest outside the Chief Minister and Governor houses this week.

This was announced by the Sindh CNG Association office bearers at a press conference on Tuesday. Accompanied by the representatives of Sindh Transport Ittehad, Akhtar Jadoon and Manzoor Brohi, they also warned of a transport strike. "We want to build pressure on the Sindh government so that it can fight the case for the province's rights with the Centre," said Dr Zulfiqar Yousufani, the association's chairperson. The sector claims that it is sustaining massive losses as the weekly load-shedding has been doubled from two days to four days. To crown it all, they say the CNG prices are likely to increase in January by Rs6 per MMBTU, making CNG a little more expensive that petrol.

Yousufani complained that the provincial government has also failed to implement Article 158 of the Constitution, which allows the province with a well-head of natural gas to have preference over other parts of Pakistan. The association claimed that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) officials agreed in writing in a meeting in November to maintain two-day load shedding in winter. But, they alleged, the SSGC broke the pledge by issuing three consecutive notifications since December 18 to increase gas supply suspension to four days.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2014.