ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has ordered a probe into the sale of adulterated Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly used in homes for cooking.
The Senate committee meeting on Thursday, chaired by Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, took notice of the LPG tanker explosion in Multan on Monday, which killed eight people.
The meeting discussed the issue of adulterated LPG, which reportedly caused Monday’s explosion. A sub-committee was formed to investigate the mixing of LPG with CO2 by suppliers for higher profit margins.
Mixing carbon dioxide with LPG elevates cylinder pressure from the standard 540 pounds per square inch (PSI) to dangerous levels of 900 to 1,200 PSI. This pressure imbalance makes cylinders weaker and vulnerable to explosions.
Takes notice of Multan tanker explosion; questions Naya Pakistan housing authority over delivery of low-cost homes
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) chairman told the meeting that a “mafia was involved” in the theft of LPG and its adulteration.
LPG costs around Rs250,000 per tonne as compared to CO2, which costs around Rs30,000 per tonne, the Ogra chairman explained.
The Multan police chief informed that four culprits had been arrested and an FIR was registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Senator Farooq H. Naek lamented that 171 cases of LPG adulteration had been registered only in January, reflecting the inefficiency of civil administration.
Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee inquired about the existing number of bowsers and the companies associated with the LPG business. The Ogra chairman replied there were 300 registered companies with 2,000 registered bowsers.
Senator Nyazee suggested that Ogra make guidelines for LPG operators to restrict their bowsers from making unidentified stops to curb adulteration.
Low-cost housing
Separately, the committee was briefed by the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA) chairman on its work and performance during the last three years.
The authority has constructed 59,500 homes, mainly in Sargodha, Chiniot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Lahore, with the collaboration of provincial governments.
The authority constructed low-cost homes — 3.5 marla homes costing only Rs2.7 million — and facilitated land owners in securing loans to build homes themselves. The committee inquired whether the homes constructed by NAPHDA had been handed over to the owners or not.
The authority’s chairman replied that the homes built in KP had been delivered.
The homes completed in Sargodha and Chiniot couldn’t be delivered due to insufficient disbursement of funds from the Ministry of Finance.
The committee decided to summon the ministry’s official in the next meeting for clarification.
Senator Naek inquired about projects in Sindh and Balochistan.
The NAPHDA chairman stated the two governments “didn’t cooperate despite several attempts to contact them”.
The committee decided to summon the chief secretaries of both provinces for probable collaboration between the provinces and NAPHDA.
On a separate matter, the chairman of the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority said the body was created in November 2024 to establish quality and eco-friendly seeds for higher yields.
He said the board of authority comprises the federal minister of National Food Security and Research, four farmers, provincial secretaries of agriculture departments and experts.
Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025
