Friday, March 29, 2024

Gas crisis: The blame game started between federal, Sindh govts

Gas crisis: The blame game started between federal, Sindh govts
December 28, 2019
KARACHI (92 News) – The blame game has been started between the federal and Sindh government over gas crisis in the province on Saturday. It is pertinent to mention here that the province has been experiencing a gas shortage in recent days.
Sindh govt rejects Omar Ayub’s statement
Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani said the federal government was responsible for the shortage in gas supply in Sindh, refuting Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan’s remarks that the federal government was not allowed to lay a gas pipeline in the province. Following a visit to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) headquarters in Karachi yesterday, Omer Ayub said the provincial government had not given SSGCL the right of way for a long time, which he said was the fundamental reason compressed natural gas (CNG) shutdowns were taking place in Sindh. The federal minister added that work was underway on two pipelines but the Sindh government had not yet given way to a third 125-kilometre pipeline by Parkland. Saeed Ghani took exception to Omer Ayub’s statement, saying the provincial cabinet had received two projects, which the federal government pursued and the Sindh government had gone out of its way to solve Centre's problem. the Sindh minister also said the federal government had never contacted the provincial government for the project Ayub was referring to. The Sindh information minister went on to claim that matters relating to a third pipeline had never been discussed with the provincial energy minister either. In his statement, Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu rejected Ayub’s statement in which he held the Sindh government responsible for the gas crisis in the province including Karachi. “A province cannot be blamed for the gas crisis”, Ismail Rahu said and termed the statement of the federal minister factually wrong. Sindh is producing large amount of the country’s gas production and even then the province is being blamed for the crisis. He clarified that the provincial government has not halted or created hinders in laying gas pipelines in the province.