Ministry of Law yet to validate Ogra's "LPG Industry Revision Bill"
Looks like the Ministry of Law and Justice is taking its merry old time with the Oil and Gas Regulator's LPG Industry Amendment Bill, leaving it just gathering dust for the past couple a' years now. Seems like they're yet to get their act together and give it the green light.
Now, the Oil and Gas Regulator ain't playing around, they're proposing some heavy penalties for any hood lums who wanna mess with the manufacturing of LPG cylinders — up to 14 years in the clink and a 15 million buck fine, no less! And they ain't gonna put up with browser blast either, which we reckon is all kinds of unsafe LPG equipment or cylinders going kaplooey.
The LPG Distributors Association of Pakistan isn't too thrilled about this whole situation either, and they've fired off a letter to the Prime Minister stressing that there needs to be some kind of legal framework to keep things safe in the LPG industry. They're worried about the constant delays in getting this OGRA amendment bill through at the Ministry of Law and Justice, and they're calling on the Minister to take action, stat!
Poor safety regulations seem to be leading to all sorts of dangerous events, like mixing CO2 gas in LPG, with those responsible for it skating off scot-free. The Association's had enough, and they're threatening to take to the streets if the bill ain't tabled sooner rather than later.
The Association's Chairman, Irfan Khokhar, is painting a grim picture: two explosions and four deaths each day due to this issue. Recalls the tragic bowser explosion in DG Khan and the massive casualties from bowser blasts in Hyderabad last year. And just recently, five lives lost in a simple LPG explosion in Lahore.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Enrichment Insights:- The amendment bill aims to enforce stringent penalties for substandard LPG cylinder manufacturing and incidents leading to browser blast, with the exact penalties not fully specified in the available information.- The LPG industry has faced hazardous incidents - including mixing CO2 gas in LPG and browser blast incidents — due to insufficient safety measures and regulations.- The OGRA amendment bill has been delayed due to procedural hurdles at the Ministry of Law and Justice, causing concern among the LPG industry stakeholders.
- The Oil and Gas Regulator (OGRA) is proposing severe penalties for those involved in unsafe LPG cylinder manufacturing, with potential jail terms up to 14 years and fines worth 15 million dollars.
- The LPG Distributors Association of Pakistan has expressed concern over the constant delays in passing the OGRA amendment bill at the Ministry of Law and Justice, citing a need for improved safety in the LPG industry.
- In light of the frequent dangerous incidents such as mixing CO2 gas in LPG and browser blast incidents, the LPG industry is in need of stringent regulations to ensure safety and prevent future accidents.
- The association's Chairman, Irfan Khokhar, states that insufficient safety measures have led to two explosions and four deaths per day, with tragic incidents such as the DG Khan and Hyderabad bowser explosions and the recent Lahore LPG explosion highlighting the urgency for action.