Karachi: Chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Masroor Khan has said that violation of LPG rules will be a fine of up to 10 lakh rupees and imprisonment of up to 10 years, non-standard cylinders are not acceptable under any circumstances. People’s lives are the most precious thing, which cannot be bargained for, he was addressing and talking to the media after meeting LPG stakeholders at the FPCCI office on Monday.
On this occasion, FPCCI Senior Vice President Suleman Chawla and Pakistan LPG Marketers Association Vice Chairman Mohammad Ali Haider also spoke to the media. Chairman OGRA said that for the LPG sector, the OGRA government is taking a joint policy with the government of Pakistan, which will further improve the LPG sector. Masroor Khan has said that domestic gas has remained at 3 billion MMSFD. Chairman OGRA said that 1.3 percent of Pakistan’s energy is from LPG.
He said that today he saw an LPG shop in a pickup in Korangi where the hoses were leaking which is a dangerous situation, the country needs 2.8 lakh cylinders and it will require an investment of 160 million dollars.
A laboratory will be set up to check the quality of LPG cylinders. He said that the LPG sector is growing rapidly due to increased demand. Ogar is working with the government to develop a new LPG policy. Several challenges are being faced, including the use of substandard cylinders.
He said that the demand for LPG has increased and will increase further in the future. There are cases of sub-standard LPG cylinders, however, these accidents have reduced in the last three to four months. He said that LPG is introducing a new policy in which penalties and fines have been proposed to increase manifold against the use of substandard cylinders and other illegal activities related to LPG. Regarding the protest by the industrialists against the increase in gas traffic in Karachi, Chairman OGRA said that discussions are going on with the relevant forums of the industrialists. OGRA does not have the mandate to discuss with the industrialists.
Earlier, Chairman OGRA Masroor Khan along with Pakistan LPG Marketer Association Vice Chairman Mohammad Ali Haider and OGRA enforcement team visited different areas of Karachi and reviewed the safety standards at the shops of LPG distributors and retailers.
On this occasion it was pointed out that 450 factories are making substandard cylinders, has the OGRA Karachi office ever raided the factories? In a few years the consumption of LPG will be 3 times, when I visited the Gujranwala factories, they closed the factories on the pretext of a funeral. He said that currently the requirement of LPG is 2500 tons and this requirement can reach 5 to 6 thousand. Regarding safety, Chairman OGRA said that LPG is a dangerous product in the sense that if precautions are not taken, there are high chances of fire.
He said that it has also been seen that some people keep LPG cylinders in the basement, if this cylinder explodes, it can be more harmful than a bomb. He said that the prevention of substandard cylinders is necessary in every case, and he said that the purpose of buying cheap cylinders is to invite death. In the last 4 months, there has been a significant reduction in cylinder burst incidents, 100% safety cannot be guaranteed, but negligence will not be allowed either. Muhammad Ali Haider, Vice Chairman of Pakistan LPG Marketer Association, while giving a briefing to Chairman OGRA informed the Chairman OGRA about the serious problems. He gave details about the use of cylinders in America and Western countries. Regarding the transfer of gas from one cylinder to another, Muhammad Ali Haider said that constitutional amendments and licenses are needed to make it legal, for which LPG convener Muhammad Ali Haider has briefed the OGRA chairman today. An unnecessary increase in LPG prices will affect the common man. He said that we have told the chairman that the rules of OGRA must be implemented now. Ali Haider said that big marketing companies should not make model shops.
This move will discourage illegal LPG sellers, Suleman Chawla welcomed the Chairman OGRA and said that it is expected that the Chairman OGRA will continue to visit the Federation House. Earlier, Chairman OGRA visited LPG shops and stations in various areas of the city including Korangi. He praised Muhammad Ali Haider’s LPG station and said that everything here is in accordance with the law.
