LAHORE – A team of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited set up as UFG-C Special Task Force carried out a crackdown on illegal gas connections/bypasses approximately to 600 houses in village Bhagiana Kalan, Phool Nagar, District Kasur, the other day. Najeeb-ul-Hassan, General Manager (HSE/Special Task Force) was heading the drive.
The local police and electronic media had been informed about the raid. The campaign used special equipment for detecting underground bypasses. In the village Bhagiana Kalan, the teams detected over 17 bypasses. The teams had to brave antagonism from the residents and armed with axes and batons they roughed up the Sui Gas employees injuring eight of them.
The unruly mob also injured two journalists from TV channels. The officials called in the police and with their help resumed their work. The residents said they had bribed some of the department officials to get illegal connections and that they were being charged Rs 500 per house for that. The team also dug up an illegal warehouse being used as hub of the illegal direct bypass gas connections.
Later the team got a case registered at Phool Nagar Saddar Police Station. Police has so far arrested four of the five accused.
