April 07, 2008	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 6: The natural gas consumers on Sunday complained of over billing, saying that charges levied in the bills for the month of February were much higher than their average monthly bills.

People living in different parts of the city, including Hazrarkhwani and Gulberg Town said their domestic bills showed as if they were owners of industries.

Mushtaq Ahmed, a resident of Cheena Hazarkhwani, told Dawn that he was a schoolteacher and the bill he had received was Rs6520 for a single month. He said most of his previous bills were up to Rs350 but the current bill was too big for him to pay it.

“I am unable to pay it. I will send an application to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and would also move the court for getting a relief,” he said. He alleged that company was fleecing poor domestic consumers to meet its previous losses. He said if the bills were not revised the consumers would be forced to agitate against the company.Another citizen, Madad Khan of Gulberg, said he was receiving the inflated bills for the second consecutive month. He said no areas had been mentioned in the bills.

Another consumer Naveed Khan complained that he visited the gas utility billing offices, but no one solved the problem rather he was simply asked to pay the bill in instalments.