CNG association plans to launch strike against loadshedding

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan representative body of CNG filling stations decided on Friday to start a three-stage protest campaign from July 13 in support of its demands such as keeping the CNG rates 40 percent lower than petrol.

While announcing its protest plans, including idefinite strike in the final stage, the All-Pakistan CNG association said its other major demand pertained to a review of the gas load-management plan.

The decision about protests was made in a meeting attended by all zonal, regional and divisional representatives and transporters' representatives besides other participants here on Friday.

The meeting took place following talks that ended in deadlock with officials of the ministry of petroleum and natural resources on June 7.

No official of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources could immediately make comments on the decision reached at the CNG Association's meeting.

Under the three-stage protest plan of APCNGA, first stage starts on July 13 with protest meeting, a rally in front of Parliament House in the second stage while the third phase will comprise the country-wide unlimited strike call.

The association said its representatives had met secretary petroleum and natural resources but the latter declined to issue notification regarding keeping CNG prices 40 percent lower than petrol and decrease loadshedding from two and a half day.

The association says the minister for petroleum and natural resources had made assurances in a meeting on July 4 to fulfill its demands.

Ghiyas Paracha chairman supreme council of the association said the minister had promised to review gas load management plan for filling stations by July 11.

He said the minister had made commitment that the summary envisaging increase in prices for CNG sector by 69.5 percent and gas closure of three days for the Punjab and two days for Sindh would be reshaped to address the association's concerns.

He said the minister had also assured the CNG sector would be given share out of the 125 mmcfd gas from Kunar Pasakhi field, adding it would go a long way in overcoming gas loadshedding for the sector.

He said the closure of the CNG sector which was consuming only 7.2percent of the gas could not help overcome the energy crisis and these loadshedding measures were tantamount to taking away right of inexpensive mode of transportation.

He said those persons who were advising policy makers to raise prices of the CNG consumed by around 3.5 million vehicles in no way were serving the citizens of the country.

He said the CNG sector had been providing inexpensive mode of transportation to the people and the sector was needed to be further promoted.

He said that some people who did not want the CNG sector to develop were actually trying to undermine people welfare oriented efforts of the government.

He said as per government's commitments CNG sector had first right on gas saved from the private sector's power stations but the CNG sector was being deprived of this right, he added.

He was of the view there was no gas shortage in the country but some elements of vested interest were trying to discourage the CNG sector.

Meanwhile, commuters in the twin cities are facing problems as public transport vehicles do not complete their routes due to weekly scheduled CNG closure.

Under the pretext of gas load-shedding at CNG stations, the public transporters did not ply their vehicles and those which operated also did not complete their routes.

Commuters waiting for public transports told APP, the people of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad specially the commuters faced a great hardship as the transporters fleeced the public and the relevant authorities failed to rein them.