With the severe energy crisis in the country, the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) has clearly said ‘no’ to go-ahead with an agreement worth Rs 1,100 million with the Sindh government to provide natural gas to the villages and towns, Pakistan Today has learnt. Interestingly, utility when asked to communicate the refusal in writing to the Sindh government, the authorities were reluctant to do so saying they had been asked by the top management that they would not be in a position to provide new gas connection to the villages and town citing gas shortage in the country. Normally, the Sindh government’s planning and development department signs had singed an agreement with the gas utility worth more than one billion rupees to provide sui gas to far-flung village and towns every year. This year, the Sindh’s authorities has earmarked Rs 1 billion for the gasification of villages, however, the SSGC was reluctant to keep the agreement alive, well-placed sources told Pakistan Today. The sources said the Sindh government wanted to launch schemes of village gasification, however, the gas utility had turned down the request. A number of gas schemes recommended by the elected representatives were now being sent back as the gas utility was yet to provide the gas to the selected villages and towns since last year, sources added. “No doubt, the gas utility is playing a pivotal role in providing natural gas to industrial, commercial and domestic customers even at the times when the country is passing through a severe energy crisis. But, the refusal of the public utility regarding provision of gas to villages and towns is a sheer injustice with the poor masses”, according to source. “In view of the prevailing situation in the country, the SSGC is not in a position to undertake new development schemes in new towns and villages in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, expecially under the Loan Agreement with Government of Sindh”, sources said while quoting text of SSGC letter. Ironically, the SSGC also advised the Sindh government not to approve schemes of gas provision and the exercise must be stopped, they said, adding that the gas utility was insisting that it could not implement the policy in present energy crisis. Furthermore, sources said gas utility has so far undertaken schemes of providing gas facility to town and villages worth Rs 2,900 million under Loans from the Government of Sindh. The company has completed the schemes of 340 towns and villages at a total cost of Rs 1890 million during December 2009 to October 2011 by laying 823 kilometres of various diameters of pipelines.
