Gas meter rent hike: No minister shows up in NA on call attention notice

Gas meter rent hike: No minister shows up in NA on call attention notice

ISLAMABAD: After a massive hike in gas meter monthly rent from Rs40 to Rs517, a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) lawmaker submitted a call attention notice in the National Assembly (NA), ARY News reported on Thursday.

During the NA session, a JUI Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Aliya Kamran submitted a call attention notice to seek the federal government’s response on the massive hike in gas meter rent. However, no minister was present in the NA to respond to the MNA Aliya Kamran’s attention notice.

The lawmaker sought the speaker’s permission to express her thoughts after the gas meter rent hike. She asked NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf allowing her to highlight the important public issue before the House.

However, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf ordered the concerned standing committee to take up the issue of gas meter rent hike after no-show from any minister.

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Yesterday, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) increased the monthly rent for gas meters from Rs40 to Rs500 following a recent hike in gas tariff.

According to a notification issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the monthly charges for gas meters have significantly increased by Rs 500.

Even if the customer does not use gas, the consumer has to pay a minimum of Rs 500 per month which is applicable from January 2023. Moreover, customers will have to pay three months’ backload in the account of meter rent and gas tariff.

The increase in meter rent will not be applicable to consumers less than 0.9 cubic hectare in November-December, meanwhile, customers with low gas consumption will be exempted from meter rent.

The spokesman said that gas is still cheaper than LPG, wood and coal, on the other hand, the citizens found it injustice to recover the dues from the consumers.