This was stated by SSGC's Director General, Security Services and Control Gas Theft Operations (SS and CGTO) Brigadier Mohammad Abuzar (retd) during a media briefing held on the subject of 'Gas Theft and Recovery Act 2016'. A large of media representatives attended the briefing.
In his well-rounded presentation, Abuzar dilated on various sections of the Gas Act that calls for penalizing the gas theft and meter tampering offenders that can lead to the imposition of fine up to Rs 10 million and imprisonment up to 4 years. While stating that conducting operations and prosecuting gas theft offenders require total support from the media, DG (SS & CGTO) SSGC said that the primary aim of this briefing is to seek support from the media and to ensure that gas theft is seen as a crime against the community.
Brigadier Abuzar (retd) especially discussed the formation of gas utility courts in Sindh and Balochistan, whereby the Federal Government in consultation with Chief Justice of the High Court can establish as many Gas Utility Courts in a district as it may deem necessary for the purposes of this Act and appoint a judge for each of such Courts. He said that since he joined SSGC in May 2017, he pursued to establish Security Services and Control Gas Theft Operations (SS & CGTO) Department in July this year whose main objective is to ensure the enforcement of the Gas Theft Control and Recovery Act 2016.
DG (SS & CGTO) said that in order to achieve this objective, the SS & CGTO Department has been structured on more result-oriented lines, whereby experienced civilians and law enforcement officials are taking care of gas theft intelligence, prosecution and operations wings of the Department. The Department is well assisted in its physical operations to put a stranglehold on gas theft offenders by SSGC Police Station and Sindh Rangers, along with other law enforcement agencies, he further added.
Abuzar informed the media that since August 12, 2017, SS & CGTO Department has undertaken a number of intelligence based operations across Sindh by conducting raids on those commercial and industrial units that were involved in blatant gas theft. He added that so far ten culprits have been arrested and FIRs have been lodged against them. He said that a claim of 14 mmcf have been raised against the culprits, while the total estimated volume claimed to date is around 170 mmcf. 'This is however just a start and our efforts to ensure true enforcement of the Gas Theft Act, will carry on unabated.'
Earlier, SSGC's Head of Corporate Communications, provided a quick snapshot of the rising UFG trend and stressed that SSGC's enemy No 1 is UFG since it directly impacts the Company's financial bottom line. SS&CGTO's AGM Tariq Munawar and Chief Manager Colonel Saad Ibn ul Hasan (retd) were also present on the occasion. An interactive Q&A session followed the media briefing that concluded with a sumptuous lunch.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017