As part of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), the utility’s Surveillance and Monitoring Department (S&M) conducted raids against illegal usage of gas on two renowned hotels in Nazimabad area namely Haji Saifullah Khan Bangash and Haji Munawar Khan Bangashs where its proprietors were involved in direct use of gas.
The team also raided a mineral water plant located in a residential area in Nazimabad which was also involved in direct gas use. In accordance with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2011, applications were submitted by the utility to the area police for lodging FIRs against these commercial concerns.
These hotels are frequently visited by a large population of the locality. Both these hotels have a long history of illegal gas usage, despite the fact that the company had previously disconnected their gas supply at least four times for using illegal underground connections. These popular eateries of the area kept on defying the law by using gas directly through the company’s main distribution line. It must be mentioned here that both hotels owe the company Rs 2.9 million and Rs 2.2 million respectively.
During this raid, the S&M team was accompanied by DSM (distribution, system and maintenance) section of Karachi Distribution Department along with sales, billing, legal and corporate communications personnel. Security was arranged by the local police and Frontier Constabulary to meet any resistance from the proprietors of hotels.
On the same day, the team conducted another significant raid on a mineral water plant called Iqra Enterprises located in a residential area of Jalalabad in Nazimabad and discovered that its owners were using gas directly through SSGC’s main distribution line at a high pressure of 5 pounds per square inch. The raiding team discovered that the factory was using gas at different spots through underground clamps by puncturing the company’s pipeline. The area police confiscated rubber pipes and other accessories and also arrested the factory manager and salesman.
The raiding party also discovered that the factory invoices did not bear the address of the premises in which it was located and reflected some other fake address. The manufacturers were selling the mineral water under the brand name ‘Iqra Fina’.
Area residents complained that the factory, a commercial concern was located in the residential area and that they were facing acute water problem since water that was to be consumed by the residents was used for running its business.
