Owners close most CNG stations countrywide

KARACHI: Hundreds of CNG stations all across the country remained closed, as their owners have refused to accept the existing price on the plea that there is no profit in selling CNG as OGRA reduced price in line with the Supreme Court order, while the citizens facing utmost difficulties with no relief in sight.

CNG Association in the city rejecting the OGRA formula relating to the fixation of price have taken a cudgel though apparently against the regulatory authority, but in fact its piling miseries on the people from all sections of the society — men, women and children — the office goers, the students, the patients and the doctors are all equally affected.

Most of the CNG stations in the city have been closed since 12.00 midnight, while the coaches, buses, taxis, rickshaws, motorists as well as the commuters are facing great difficulties due to this unannounced sudden shut down of CNG stations and consequently thinning out of the public transports on roads. The citizens have demanded from the government to take immediate notice of the CNG stations’ closure and resolve the issue by finding a solution of the persisting problem.

The situation in Islamabad and Rawalpindi is no different, as the owners told that they cannot keep selling CNG at the existing price, while the people suffer due to the absence of public transport and rickshaw, taxi demanding exorbitant fares taking full advantage of the situation. The situations in other cities/towns of the country are more or less the same, while the ultimate sufferer are the citizens.

On the other hand, All Pakistan CNG Association central leader Ghias Paracha said that Supreme Court had asked for the reduction of CNG price by Rs20 per kilo, while it was cut down by more than Rs30. He said that OGRA should stop blackmailing them and come out clearly on the price issue.