Vol. 39 - March 2011 Paying tribute to the Company's toughest workforce On February 18, 2011, Long Service SSGC for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and He appreciated the hard work put in Awards (LSA) returned to Quetta 40 years. by the employees of Balochistan and Region. Gold medallions and especially CBA in controlling UFG and certificates were presented to 68 A joint effort of HR, SSGOA and CBA hoped that they would continue to recipients who have illustriously served with relevant support from Regional display, even a greater level of Office, the Quetta edition of LSA 2006, commitment in more challenging 2007 and 2008 was both a well days ahead. deserved tribute to the workforce which serves the Company through the roughest of terrains and seasons as well as a chance to pay homage to Quetta Region's late CM (CRD) Khalid Mehmood, the brave son of the soil who was gunned down last year while performing his duties. Speaker after speaker remembered Khalid Mehmood in glowing words, who today is an inspiration for all of us. Addressing the recipients, Chief guest Syed Hassan Nawab, DMD (North) assured them that the welfare of Balochistan Region's workforce is topmost in the management's minds and dispelled the general impression that the SSGC management is ignoring them. Mr. Nawab said that the Company is collectively waging an all-out war against UFG and Balochistan's role in this war is of paramount importance. Long Service Awards DMD (North) said that every employee he said that they work in the most has the right to report gas theft and unfavourable conditions where their take necessary action against the personal security is also at high risk. culprits. However, Mr. Nawab said that Mr. Nawab said that he has always if any employee is facing obstacles believed in delegating authority to the in discharging his duties, he must employees with the management role immediately contact him through cell restricted to necessary support in phone or e-mail and swift action will terms of provision of resources. be taken against gas thieves as well as those Company employees who Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ejaz are colluding with them. DMD (North) Ahmed, GM (HR) while appreciating informed the gathering that early in SSGOA and CBA for their continuous the day while in a meeting in Regional struggle for the employees' welfare, Office, Quetta, he had met Mr. Yaqoob, added that the level of support and a Company employee who was being cooperation given to them by the stopped from catching gas theft cases management is admirable and must and assured him that anyone who is be acknowledged. Amidst a huge putting spanner in their works will not round of applause, he said that the be spared. management is fulfilling a long standing demand of Balochistan's Mr. Nawab asked the HR Department employees by deputing doctors on to ensure transparency of HR permanent basis in Quetta and fully management based on the principle equipping Regional Office's medical of Adal or justice for all. He said that centre. He also assured the Region's officials that promotions would be injustice meted out to one person has speeded up while adding that a adverse effects on others since an comprehensive policy is being out-of-turn promotion, for instance, chalked out to identify the best creates a sense of deprivation among employees and accordingly richly others, which in turn has serious compensating them. repercussions for the Company. In his speech, Haroon Rashid, DGM DMD (North) pointed out that the (Quetta Region) urged the LSA reinstated employees have shown recipients to work extra hard not just tremendous commitment and for their personal self-aggrandizement promise, which bodes well for the but to take the Company out of the Company's future. Paying tribute to current UFG menace. Mr. Rashid said the Balochistan Region's workforce, that the management is ready to equip Top Stories 07 08 09 11 12 13 02 MARCH 2011 Long Service Awards status to his seniors and peers. Mr. Siddiqui said that every employee must be ready to wage an all out war against UFG and added that an effective UFG control will lead to an appreciable rise in their remunerations. The SSGOA's General Secretary said that the senior management is leading the Company from the front to uproot the UFG menace. Irfan Jafri, Acting President, SSGOA facilities including monetary support reiterated that the Company may have so that they can rehabilitate been faced by myriad challenges but themselves. a concerted effort is imperative to take it out of difficult situations. Dilawar Bangash, Deputy General He congratulated the recipients of Secretary, CBA (PLU) thanked GM LSA and hoped that the awards will (HR) for listening attentively to the encourage them to work even harder grievances of the Company's for the accomplishment of the employees and hoped that the Company's objectives. management's support for CBA will continue. He said that the Makhdoom-ur-Rahman, Regional management and CBA have both Secretary, Balochistan Region, CBA worked hard to give the Company, concerned departments with all the reiterated that both the Union and the the best possible Charter of Demands resources required to control UFG in management are collectively waging while adding that such pressing issues Balochistan. a difficult yet accomplishable war such as allocation of employees ' sons' against UFG. He said that merit and quota have also been resolved. Shamshullah Kakar, ACM (CRD), justice must dictate every HR policy Quetta Region urged his colleagues and hoped that former employees' In his speech, Aslam Rajput, SVP, children will also be accommodated and subordinates to think in terms of Continued on page 10 what they can do to make SSGC a truly productive company. He said that since our livelihood depends on this Company, its very survival too is in our hands. Mr. Kakar admired the The Flame Editorial Team tenacity of the engineers, technicians and workers of the Company and said that in the wake of several recent gas pipeline blasts, they carried out the repair work in the shortest possible time and restored supply to the customers in no time. Shahab Siddiqui, General Secretary, SSGOA paid rich tributes to the commitment displayed by Balochistan executives and employees, all of whom, he said, work in the most adverse conditions to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the customers. He urged the management to review the PMS policy to ensure an equitable compensation package for Balochistan's employees. 021-9923-1622 Mr. Siddiqui also paid homage to E-mail: [email protected] late Khalid Mehmood whom he in the Company. The Regional described as a highly efficient Secretary, CBA said that those employee who knew his job on his Company employees who were fingertips and did not need the support displaced during the recent floods Designed by of files to give a rundown of work must be provided with all necessary Argus MARCH 2011 03 Long Service Awards Long Services Awards (2006-2007-2008) Quetta Region February 18, 2011 04 MARCH 2011 Energy Mission WB apprised on technology-enabled transformation A World Bank (Energy Mission) visited initiatives in its project appraisal SSGC for a detailed meeting with its document that it will share with the management especially with regard Bank so that a more holistic picture of to the technology initiatives taken by the technology-enabled actions taken the Company in combating UFG. The by the Company to curb UFG, can meeting, held on February 15, 2011, be effectively highlighted. was chaired by Dr. Faizullah Abbasi, MD, SSGC. Salman Zaheer, Project Earlier, Dr. Faizullah Abbasi reiterated Director, Regional Integration Sector that the UFG reduction plan will Manager (Energy), South Asia Region also incorporate training of those led the World Bank (WB) team during the talks. engineers and labourers who will play a constructive role during the The main feature of the meeting was rehabilitation exercises. a comprehensive presentation given by Zuhair Siddiqui, SGM (CS) and Besides the MD, Azim Iqbal Siddiqui, Irfan Zafar, CTIO. Their presentation DMD (South), Syed Hassan Nawab, dwelled on the across-the-board DMD (North), SGMs, concerned GMs, technology-enabled cultural DGMs and other executives were also transformation sweeping the present during the meeting held at Company. Their presentation dilated the Head Office Boardroom. on the Technology Roadmap and its various components such as ERP, With the assistance of a US$200 million CC&B, GIS and Business Process loan from the World Bank, SSGC Management, initiatives that have intends to implement Natural Gas acted as catalysts in providing a Efficiency Project for the main purpose change leadership in the Company of reducing UFG. while enhancing professional capabilities and quality of services. Under this project, SSGC will replace Mr. Siddiqui and Mr. Zafar informed approximately 5750-km distribution the visiting delegation that smart metering is one of the latest initiatives help extract intelligent information to pipeline (excluding Supply Main) taken by the IT Department by combat UFG. The trends developed during the next five years along with incorporating Advanced Metering can be effectively used in pipeline overhead and underground leak Infrastructure (AMI). rehabilitation efforts. survey and rectification. It is projected that after the completion of this project The IT veterans also explained how World Bank's Salman Zaheer SSGC may save UFG volume of the Department is utilizing data suggested that the SSGC approximately 21 billion cubic feet per warehousing and relevant tools to management can incorporate the IT year. n Editor’s Note The Flame’s editorial team would like to congratulate the recipients of the Long Service Awards in SSGC’s franchise areas and hail them for their prolific association with the company.