Sialkot villagers await gas connections for several years.

Byline: Abid Mehdi

SIALKOT -- The villagers of Ballaanwala claim that they applied for gas connections several years ago with the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) regional office, but have yet to be entertained.

They added that local influentials were able to get their connections on priority due to their political connections. 'We have been waiting for our turn to get gas connections for the last several years, but to no avail,' the villagers stated.

The lamented that most of the urban and rural areas of Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils lacked the gas facility or were severely hit by gas loadshedding or low gas pressure for domestic consumers. They said the SNGPL should not adopt double standards while issuing gas connections, as poor applicants had to wait for several years while the influentials got theirs within days.

The well-connected applicants even got their gas meters installed in their fields through political influence for ensuring smooth supply. The locals insisted that SNGPL officials considered fields as the best place for installing a gas meter instead of outside the applicant's house.

Well-connected applicants get meters installed in fields for smooth supply

They urged the government to take notice of this injustice, saying there should be no discrimination in issuance of gas connections. They added that the SNGPL had installed the gas meters in fields illegally.

SNGPL officials concerned said that installation of gas meters in fields was illegal...