Islamabad
Conducting surprise inspections, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, Tuesday, decided to disconnect gas supply to 17 CNG stations immediately for violating the rules by filling the uncertified cylinders in the public service vehicles.
The Enforcement Department of the OGRA conducted surprise inspections in the areas of Khushab, Mianwali, Jhang, Chinot, Sargodha, Gujjar Khan, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, stated a spokesperson of the Authority. The inspection drive would cover all the CNG stations across the country, the spokesperson added.
Consequent upon the inspections, the OGRA asked the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to immediately disconnect the gas supply connection to the CNG stations those were found violating the law, the spokesperson said.
“During the inspection it was observed that most of the public service vehicles were having fake certification stickers of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP),” the OGRA spokesperson said.
Therefore, the OGRA has also written a letter to the HDIP requesting it to inspect vehicles carrying fake stickers of cylinder certification, he added. The OGRA has asked the HDIP to immediately direct its Karachi, Quetta, Multan, Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar based officers to conduct periodic inspections/visits of the respective area’s CNG stations and ensure compliance of OGRA earlier letter to ban filling of uncertified cylinders in PSVs.
The Authority has asked the HDIP to intimate CNG stations violating the OGRA directions for further necessary actions.
According to the statement, the officers that conducted surprise inspections have found following malpractices and irregularities on part of the CNG stations; CNG were being filled in uncertified Public Service Vehicles; HDIP authorized CNG conversion workshops were found closed/non-operational and PSVs were not getting certification stickers; Bogus/ fake stickers were found on PSVs; Certified PSVs by HDIP authorised CNG conversion workshops were not as per SOP developed. CNG cylinders were found beneath seats of passengers in certified PSVs.