KARACHI: Industrialists in Hyderabad are urging the government to address a severe LPG shortage caused by the Sui Southern Gas Company’s (SSGC) failure to supply gas to eateries, food streets, and domestic users. The shortage has led to the closure of numerous LPG shops, exacerbating the crisis.
Adeel Siddiqui, President of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to reopen these shops. “The closure of LPG shops has caused a major crisis affecting eateries, small factories, goldsmiths, ironsmiths, and food streets,” Siddiqui told The Express Tribune. He urged the government to implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and issue licenses for LPG stores immediately, stressing the need for fresh cylinders from companies.
Muhammad Farooq Shaikhani, President of the Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI), voiced concerns over the recent crackdown on LPG shops. He questioned the timing and rationale behind these actions, noting the severe impact on thousands of domestic consumers, including tea houses, tandoors, small hotels, restaurants, and households that rely heavily on LPG due to high natural gas prices and a ban on new connections for over three years.
Shaikhani called for implementing standard testing and certification processes for cylinders and restricting LPG sales to licensed distributors only. He suggested digital systems to monitor LPG distribution, consumer training on safe usage, establishing approved distribution centers in designated areas, and banning LPG shops in densely populated zones.
In his appeal to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Shaikhani stressed the importance of swift action to ensure safe LPG distribution. He also called for efforts to discover new gas reserves, noting that the 18th Amendment grants provinces the first right to resources extracted from their land. Shaikhani asserted that the gas produced in Sindh should be prioritized for Sindh’s consumers.
Story by Gohar Ali Khan
