OGRA Issued Licence To Gaseous Distribution Company As Per Law:

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OGRA issued licence to Gaseous Distribution Company as per law:

ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Jan, 2017 ) : A spokesman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Monday denied the connotations given in the contradictory news item appearing in a section of the press regarding issuance of natural gas sales licence to a private gas company - M/s Gaseous Distribution Company (GDC).

The spokesman, in a statement, clarified that the licence had been issued after due diligence and was in line with applicable OGRA laws. The OGRA spokesman further clarified that the GDC, formerly Pak Gas Distribution Company, had applied for grant of license on March 30, 2016 to carry out the regulated activity of the sale of natural gas to CNG stations located in Sindh province.

"Contrary to the news published, after fulfilling all pre-requisites, OGRA conducted public hearing as per law on December 14, 2016 in Karachi," the spokesman said. The whole licence process took almost nine months that clearly indicates that the permit was issued after a thorough process, in-house deliberations and meeting all pre-requisites without any urgency at all.

"Certain elements from within the organization having ulterior motives are deliberately trying to malign the organization and misleading some segments of the media." It is pertinent to note that the authority has issued licence unanimously and after detailed deliberation.

The conditional licence granted to GDC is based on the same parameters as were applicable to a similar gas marketing company in Punjab. All valid objections raised by the interveners were duly emphasized and the authority ensured that the issues be satisfactorily addressed by the applicant.

The Primary reason that the licence was granted a day after the applicant addressed the objection of M/s PSO and duly changed its name from Pak Gas Distribution Company to Gaseous Distribution Company, duly registered by Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, was without changing any other particulars of its earlier application of March 2016, the spokesman said.

"It is a fact that Member Gas Amir Naseem was retiring on December 22, 2016 after completion of his term." The authority being judicious and conscious of the fact that after a thorough process and by fulfilling all the legal requirements, the applicant is entitled to get a conditional licence for one year which shall be effective after fulfillment of certain terms and condition of the licence.

"Therefore, the authority after due process in a transparent manner issued the licence as per law. Needless to say that OGRA has been dutiful in discharging its duties," the spokesman maintained. APP/ma/kmd � 18:37/18:43/18:43