QUETTA: In a rare move, the Government of Balochistan, in coordination with the Sui Southern Gas Company, has decided to provide LPG gas facilities to all the District Headquarters in the shortest possible time. The time frame given for the scheme is one year and the company had been asked to complete it earlier.
The decision was taken at a high level meeting of officials and Government Ministers in which a senior official of the SSGC also participate in the deliberations.
The Provincial Government had decided that the Government would provide land to the SSGC for establishing LPG plants in all the District Headquarters and lay pipeline for the consumers.
However, it was also decided to give first preferences to the Divisional Headquarters first followed by the District Headquarters in getting LPG gas supply.
The Provincial Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti had been appointed the focal person coordinate with the SSGC and other concerned officials in the administration for implementing the project without any delay.
Taking full advantage of his nomination as the focal person of the Project, he first included his home town in the scheme to get LPG gas facility as it is far away from the gas installations in the Bugti Tribal Territory.
In regard to collecting the bills from the gas consumers, the meeting decided to launch an awareness campaign in this regard educating the people to pay the gas bills in time.
The Government of Balochistan will approach the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to reduce the prices of and keep it at the minimum as the people are poor and got modest means for their livelihood.
The Chief Minister spoke on the occasion and welcomed the move saying that the facility is being taken to the doorsteps of the people in all parts of Balochistan.
Nawab Zehri asked the concerned officials to start the project without any delay so that it should be completed ahead of schedule which is one year.
He strongly deplored that the people of Balochistan had been denied the natural gas facility for more than half a century though the natural gas was discovered in Sui in early 1950s. Such a policy brought a bad name for Pakistan as owner of the natural gas denied gas facility by designs. It was exploited by the anti-Government elements, Nawab Zehri told the meeting.
Providing LPG gas facility to the people, Nawab Zehri said that it would improve the image of the Government and the country in the eyes of the people. He assured the Government controlled corporations and companies that his Government would provide protection to all implementing development schemes in Balochistan.
Taking advantage of the present of SSGC official in the meeting, Nawab Zehri asked the SSGC to raise the wages of workers working on the project to Rs 14,000—the minimum wage fixed by the Government of Balochistan.
Provincial Ministers Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Sarfraz Bugti, Mujeebur Rehman Mohammad Hasni, MPA Prince Ahmed Ali Baloch, a senior official from the SSGC and Chairman of the Balochistan Investment Board were also present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister received a delegation from China Harbour Engineering Company, headed by Mr. Wang ZIaoping and discussed the feasibility study of the Quetta Mass Transit Train project. They reviewed progressed made in the project. The Chinese delegate informed the Chief Minister that the Chinese Government is ready to finance the project in Balochistan. The CM was also informed that the feasibility study had been completed while PC I is being prepared or in final stages.
Source: Daily Balochistan Express