Gas cut for three days due to unpaid bill

Dozens of angry women protest to demand restoration of gas.

SUKKUR: People in Darul Aman, a shelter for poor women, have been without gas supply for three days. Several angry women held a protest on Tuesday to demand the restoration of gas, which has been cut off due to unpaid bills.

The gas connection to Darul Aman was disconnected three days back due to outstanding dues. Dozens of women living in the Darul Aman were forced either to eat ready-made food provided to them by the management or to cook meals on burning wood.

When three days had passed and the management had not yet restored the gas supply as promised, the women began to protest. The district officer of the social welfare department, Sukkur, Abdul Qudoos, negotiated with the women and assured them of immediate restoration of gas after which the protest ended.

Aziz Begum, the in-charge, strongly criticised the social welfare administration and told The Express Tribune that the gas supply to the institute was disconnected three days back, due to heavy dues of Rs442,000. “The social welfare administration has not paid the shelter’s gas bills for three years and the women are forced to cook meals on burning wood,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2010.