MANSEHRA: Workers and owners of compressed natural gas (CNG) stations across Hazara on Tuesday demanded the federal government end the 20-hour suspension of natural gas supplies to their sector in the division.
“Unfortunately, the government has allowed us only four hours of CNG supply to provide gasoline to motorists, rendering workers and labourers jobless and adversely affecting our businesses in which we have invested billions of rupees,” Qaisar Abbasi, the vice-president of the Hazara CNG Owners Association, told reporters here.
Flanked by other office-bearers of the association, he said Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited had fixed a quota of nine million cubic feet per day for the CNG sector in Hazara. However, the stations could hardly consume around eight million cubic feet of that quota, but were still being compelled to close their stations.
“Even if we operate throughout the day, we cannot consume the entire nine million cubic feet quota. Despite this, we are being forced to suspend gas supplies to vehicles and motorists for 20 hours a day without any justification,” Abbasi said.
The office-bearer said around 130 CNG stations were currently operational across Hazara, providing direct employment to more than 1,130 workers and indirect employment to around 260 others.
“Due to the government’s illogical decision to suspend gas supplies for 20 hours and provide gas for only two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening, hundreds of workers have been deprived of their livelihoods,” he added.
