Gas supply to all villages of Swabi to be ensured: Khaqan Abbasi

  • March 18, 2014, 7:32 pm
  • National News
  • 128 Views

PESHAWAR, March 18 (Online): Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has assured that Sui Gas will be supplied to all the villages and hamlets of Swabi on priority basis.
The assurance was given on Tuesday when Speaker KP Assembly Asad Qaiser and MNA Mohammad Akif Khan called on the Federal Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in his Office where the problem of Sui Gas supply to various parts of the Province including the areas bordering or hit by terrorism and militancy, like Karak and Hango, low gas presser in MPAs hostel and gas connection to different parts of Swabi were discussed in detail.
The Speaker who was elected both to the National and Provincial assemblies from the area during the previous general elections, pointed out that gas supply to Swabi has been a constant demand of the people and successive elected representatives had worked on it but the problem still exists.
He pointed out that being deprived of gas facility, the people of Marghuz, Kotha, Thand Kohi, Zarobi, Ghar Munara/Gaar Akakhiel, Anbar, Khunda, Pontia, Mankai, parts of Zaidda, Menai, Jalsai, Jalbai, Tordher, parts of Punjpir, Kalabut, Yousafay, Chota Lahore, Shah Mansoor, Kadday, parts of Bamkhiel, Dhokh, Batakra and Hamlet were constantly complaining of being discriminated because they had the facility in their neighborhoods. Same, he said was the position of other parts of the district where there is no such facility.
Asad Qaiser pointed out that in view of such pressing demands of the people, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on his persuasions deposited a sum of Rs.50 million with the SNGPL but due to ban on new connections, the problem has not been resolved so far.
Therefore, he demanded that the ban be relaxed so that this longstanding demand of the people of the area could be meted out.
With regard to the gas supply to the backward areas of those parts of KP which are either het by or are in the neighborhoods of the areas het by militancy and terrorism, Mr.Speaker revealed that the Provincial government wanted to provide such supply on concessional rats for industrial use so there so that business and production activities are started there and the people get employments. He also conveyed the sentiments of the people of the areas like Karak and Hangu where the locals had a lot of problems due to non-availability of natural gas.
The Speaker KP Assembly also said that MPAs were facing a lot of problems due to low gas pressure in their hostel and the local authorities could not resolve the problem despite his repeated interventions.
Responding to it, the Federal Minister said that in view of the fact that the KP Government had also taken up the problem in the Council of Common Interests, the Federal Government will try to relax the ban and resolve these problems on priority basis. With regard to the issue of Gas supply to Karak and Hangu, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi explained that massive wastage of gas had been recorded in the areas that is why the SNGPL will on its own provide gas connections to the people of those gas producing areas so that the affairs are streamlined and the precious energy is saved from wastage.