MURREE, Nov 7: The rural areas of Murree are yet to receive gas facility although the provincial government and Tehsil Municipal Administration have made promises in this regard.

Gas supply project to Murree was inaugurated by the former president Pervez Musharraf in August 2006 and it was promised by the then government officials including the federal minister for oil and gas that Murree city would start to receive gas before the start of winter of same year and the rural areas by a year time.

But after two years, all the city areas could not get the facility, let alone the rural areas. In the absence of the gas the onset of snowy winter would aggravate the miseries of the residents of Shawala, Sunny Bank, Kuldanna, Pindi Point, Cart Road, Jika Gali.

The town Nazim Sardar Saleem Khan too, during February 2008 elections campaign of his younger brother, promised to provide gas facility to the rural dwellers very soon.

With the announcement of gas facility it was hoped that the few leftover forests, a real beauty of this hill station, would be saved. But the delay in the gas supply forced the residents to continue chopping down trees, the only source of firewood for them.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) said despite payment of all compensation the TMA took about one year to grant permission for digging of roads to lay gas pipeline.

An officer of SNGPL on condition of anonymity said that the survey in the rural areas has been completed but funds are awaited.

WOOD SEIZED: Personnel deputed at police post, Tret, intercepted a truck laden with wood and took its driver, Aftab, into custody.