ISLAMABAD: There is a huge misconception that gas and gas connections will be provided free of cost to people living around gas fields, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbassi said on Monday.

He was responding to queries posed by the members of National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum.

The committee members, mostly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inquired about the status of the policy to provide gas to a five kilometre area around gas fields on priority basis.

The committee was informed by officials that gas connections would be provided by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) but the matter was pending over the issue of payments.

“Somebody has to pay for it. Either the federal government through the MNAs scheme, the provincial government through the royalty received on gas production or the consumers,” the minister said.

Nasir Khan Khattak and Akram Khan Durrani further sought details of gas development schemes in Nowshera district of KP. However, the information was not available with the SNGPL officials.

“The issue is that gas is extracted from Kohat, Karak and Hangu districts but the royalty on gas is mostly spent in districts like Nowshera,” Nasir Khan said. His statement was seconded by many members of the committee.

The committee also took serious notice against the managements of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for ‘protecting their corrupt employees’.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2015