SIALKOT, Sept 22: People in general and businessmen in particular have expressed grave concern over inordinate delay in the issuance of domestic and commercial gas connections in Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial.

Several old women and people coming from various parts of the district told this correspondent that they had been visiting the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited office in Sialkot since long, but the alleged agents and contractors of SNGPL officials were creating hurdles for them.

Sakeena Bibi of Gohdpur-Sialkot said: “The agents are fleecing innocent people by extorting handsome amounts from them for provision of gas connections at the earliest.”

Requesting anonymity, a Sialkot SNGPL official said hundreds of cases had been lying pending for the last more than five to seven years.

Dr Muneer Butt of Citizens Rights Forum said SNGPL officials were least bothered about complaints of gas leakage at Pakka Garha, Kotli Behram, New Muslim Town, Gohdpur, Model Town, Pakpura, Hajipura, Nishat Park, Poorannagar and Christian Town. He said the respective officials also misbehaved with complainants.

Muhammad Aslam of Adalatgarha-Uggoki, Muhammad Arshad, Khalid Mehmood and Jamil Sethi of Daska said political influence had become vital to get a connection as one could see gas meters at several vacant plots.

On the other hand, commoners had been waiting for the last several years in this regard, they said.

The affected people have urged the SNGPL managing-director and other high-ranking officials to take notice of the situation here at the earliest.

When contacted, the Sialkot SNGPL officials declined to comment. However, they said the company was making sincere efforts to reduce the number of pending cases.