ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) would hold a public hearing on Monday regarding whether or not to grant exclusive rights of transmission, distribution and sale of the natural gas in Sindh and Balochistan to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) for 30 years.

The SSGCL is currently involved in the transmission, distribution and sale of the natural gas in the two provinces.

It provides gas to over 1.6 million consumers through a network of 2,724-km-long high-pressure transmission pipeline besides laying 22,890-km-long distribution system.

The company is also augmenting its transmission system to enable the newly-discovered gas fields in the two provinces, particularly in Sindh, at a cost of Rs4 billion.

In its request for grant of licence, the company has claimed to supply natural gas without any interruption.