Ogra staggers without chairman, member oil

KARACHI: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has been working without the chairman for almost a month now, which is adversely affecting the authority’s operation, an official said. 

The official said since the tenure of ex-chairman Ogra Saeed Khan ended on April 15, the authority has been unable to perform its statutory obligations, administrative and legal responsibilities, due to lack of quorum 

Member gas Aamir Naseem of Ogra, in a letter to the Cabinet Division, said the authority is working with the two members alone: member gas and member finance. 

Naseem said the authority is unable to discharge responsibilities without the appointment of chairman and member oil.

As per the rules, the authority should consist of the chairman and three members, including member gas, member oil and member finance. The office of member oil has also been vacant for the last one year.

“It may also be noted that certain administrative authorities have been delegated to the chairman by the authority to run day-to-day business of the organisation (and) as such day to day functions are suffering badly,” Naseem said.

Section 3(13) of the Ogra Ordinance, 2002, stipulates that the federal government should designate one of the members as vice chairman, who should act as chairman at any time during which the chairman for any reason is incapable of exercising the chairman’s powers or performing the chairman’s duties and when so acting, the vice chairman should exercise the powers and perform the duties imposed on the chairman by the said ordinance.

“In the light of above provisions of the statute, it is felt imperative that the federal government may designate one of the members as vice chairman for smooth running of the day to day regulatory and administrative affairs of the organisation in eventualities enabling Ogra to perform its statutory functions and obligations as per law,” said the member gas.

Nasim also requested the cabinet division to expedite the matter of appointment of member oil and chairman to avoid any legal and administrative complications.

A source said the division has already shortlisted three candidates for the post of chairman, but it has yet to forward the summary for an approval.

The source named Tahir Alam Khan, ex-Inspector General of Police Islamabad, Uzama Adil, ex-Managing Director of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and Noor-ul-Haq, the incumbent member finance Ogra as the candidates.