ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Monday stopped the gas utilities — SNGPL and SSGCL — from disconnecting gas supplies to compressed natural gas stations till June 30.

Under an executive order of the Director General Gas of the petroleum ministry, the utilities were required to disconnect gas supplies to analogue (non-digital) CNG stations after March 31, 2003. As a result, more than 55 CNG stations were to face stoppage of gas supply.

This is the first regulatory function the OGRA has so far performed since the government restored its powers to regulate the CNG and LPG business in the country instead of petroleum ministry 15 days back.

The representatives of these 55 CNG stations had approached OGRA for the resolution of the problem as the directorate general gas had made certain decisions on the basis of which gas disconnections of a number of CNG stations were ordered.

The deadline for such disconnections expired on Monday.

“The authority (OGRA) has decided in the best public interest that no disconnection (other than default in payments) of any CNG station be made till 30th June 2003, enabling OGRA to review all the pending cases on merit to take a rational decision,” a notification issued by the OGRA said.

The OGRA also directed the managing directors of SNGPL and SSGC to ensure implementation of the decision and see to it that no disconnection took place till June 30. The OGRA would now examine whether or not the decision of the DG gas had any locus standi.