ISLAMABAD: Following the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Petroleum Division on Monday constituted a four-member committee to probe the issue of inflated gas bills to domestic consumers.
On Sunday, the prime minister had directed Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ghulam Sarwar Khan to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The prime minister had said that putting an extra burden of gas prices on the masses was unjustified.
A four-member committee has been constituted to look into the matter in depth. The committee which is to be headed by Additional Secretary Petroleum Sher Afghan Khan will present its recommendations after reviewing the 30-day billing process. However, no time frame has been given to the committee. Other members of the committee are Shahid Yousaf, Imran Ahmed and manager of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL).
According to a copy of the letter dispatched by the Petroleum Division, the committee will also take into consideration the increased price slab which was recently introduced by the government. The committee will also suggest any rationalisation in view of the unprecedented increase in domestic gas bills.
It is worth mentioning here that thousands of domestic gas consumers have received excessive and inflated bills in the range of Rs10,000 to Rs25,000, creating agony among low-income gas consumers.
