KOHAT: Hundreds of commercial consumers, including bakers, sweet sellers, nanbais and others, staged a demonstration in front of the Kohat Press Club on Friday against the gas overbilling despite excessive outages.

They also demanded strict action against the gas and power thieves as they claimed the authorities overbilled the ‘honest’ consumers to make up for the losses.

On the occasion, Mr Sultan, a representative of tandoor owners’ association, said nanbais received bills ranging from Rs80,000 to Rs150,000. He also flayed the authorities over excessive gas loadshedding and low pressure, affecting both the business community and the domestic users in biting cold.

The protesters also flayed the Peshawar Electric Supply Company officials for sending bills with huge surcharges/fines.

Shahid Qureshi, a representative of bakers’ association, said they received electricity and gas bills amounting to Rs400,000 despite excessive loadshedding.

The protesters chanted slogans against the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. They also decided not to deposit the bills unless corrections were made to them. Israr Shinwari, general secretary of All Businessmen Alliance, said he had last paid gas bill amounting to Rs155,000, and received an inflated current bill of Rs365,000.

He asked the deputy commissioner and the Kohat division commissioner to order remedial measures. He said in homes women could not prepare breakfast for children, who had to go to schools on empty stomach.

He said Kohat fulfilled 60 per cent gas needs of the country, but was kept ‘deprived’ of the facility.

Haji Sajid, chairman of CNG filling stations’ association, said they had approached the Peshawar High Court, which had ruled that there should be no gas loadshedding in the producing areas, but SNGPL was not afraid of the court judgment.

When contacted, an SNGPL official, Sarbuland Khan told Dawn that according to the government schedule, gas was provided for eight hours a day during cooking timings. He added low pressure was caused because consumers turned on heaters, gysers and stoves at the same time when the supply was resumed.

MEETING: The local chapter of Awami National Party on Friday formed a committee for naming candidates for the national and provincial assembly seats in the district.

ANP district president Dr Safdar chaired the meeting, where presidents from all four tehsils, secretaries and poll aspirants were also in attendance.

Dr Safdar will head the committee.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2023