–Private oil marketing firm suspends supply to the area for 3 months
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of tourists visiting Gilgit Baltistan have started facing a shortage of fuel in the area following the short supply from oil marketing firms and a rise in demand. The suspension of fuel supply from some marketing firms for the last three months has also added to the sufferings of the people in the area.
According to sources, Admore Gas—an oil marketing firm—which retails refined petroleum products and lubricants across individual and commercial market segments, has suspended its supply to the area for the last three months, causing closure of petrol pumps in the three districts of GB. The customers of the company in Skardu, Astor and Gilgit are not only being deprived of the supply but they are also being penalized by the local administration for not ensuring availability of fuel in the summer season.
A petrol pump owner in Skardu said, “We are not only facing huge losses in terms of revenue but also facing legal and administrative actions for not maintaining reserves needed to ensure in case of any emergency,” adding that the oil supplying firm was making lame excuses for the disruption in supply for the last three months.
The company, he said, was not even giving an NoC so that the dealers could avail facilities of other firms. “We are left with no option but to take up the issue with the Ministry of Petroleum and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), or knock on courts’ doors against the unjustified act of the firm,” he said. The local administration has already been informed about the issue but it is still demanding the fuel stock from the pumping stations.
When contacted Khurram Malik, marketing head of Admore Gas, he claimed that his company has streamlined things to restore the supply to GB, which is, what he claims, as a priority area of the firm. He presented the incident of Ahmadpur Sharqia as a reason for the delay in supply, despite the fact that the supply was disconnected to the area even before the incident.
Apart from the short supply to the pumping stations in Juglot, Astor and Skardu, the overall supply of fuel was also disrupted in other parts of GB due to sharp increase in demand and a shortage in supply following the strike of oil tankers.
According to some, pump owners earn millions by selling their fuel quota to entrepreneurs in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and save nearly Rs60,000 a truckload in freight charges.
People believe that the administration is fully cooperating with pump owners in this connection.
Interestingly, the authorities are not questioning the suppliers despite a perpetual fuel crisis doubled due to thousands of vehicles of tourists entering GB. “Under the present crisis, situation could be worst in case of closure of roads due to flood and rain being forecast by Met Office in next weeks,” said a resident of the area.