Gas crisis: Sindh CM urges federal govt to call CCI meeting

F.P. Report

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, during a key meeting on Friday, decided to write a letter to the federal government, urging it to convene a meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI).

CM Shah chaired a meeting of Department of Energy and said the CCI session had not been called for last three months. He was of the view that Sindh had the first right on the gas produced in the province.

“This gas should be first provided to us, so people of the province could no longer face gas crisis domestically,” he said.

The CM complained that the province wasn’t getting its due share of gas. He moaned that the price being given to Sindh was also not at par with the amount of gas the province was distributing.

He also directed the provincial minister for power to consult his legal team and prepare a case in this regard. He told the meeting that Sindh was not in favour of raising gas prices.

On Feb 12, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had said that the Sindh was producing 2800 to 3000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas, while it was being provided 1100-1200 mmcfd gas against its estimated consumption of 1500 mmcfd.

Detailing the provision of gas in the province, the SSGC spokesperson said, the company was supplying 300-400 MMCFD gas to the industrial sector, 150-200 mmcfd to compressed natural gas (CNG) sector and 300-350 mmcfd gas to domestic and commercial consumers in the province.

It is pertinent to mention here that the gas crisis has further aggravated in Sindh as SSGC’s managing director has said that the gas shortfall has reached to 200 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) due to cold weather.