Shervin Omidvar

Several days after gas and power cuts disrupted life in various parts of the nation, a ‎number of Majlis deputies finally began to criticize the government; particularly the ‎ministry of oil’s handling of the gas shortage crisis caused by a cold winter. Official ‎news agencies reported dozens of deaths last night caused by the use of faulty domestic ‎gas tanks. ‎

Mehrangiz Morovati, who represents the city of Khalkhal, was among the critical ‎lawmakers yesterday. In her speech on the main floor of the Majlis, Morovati said, ‎‎“those of you who put your heads down in the warm comfort of your homes, do you ‎know what it means to experience temperatures of 30 degrees [Celsius] below zero?” ‎

Morovati added: “never before have people in my hometown been so helpless and ‎innocent.” Morovati went on to warn the government that “cold weather and the pressure ‎resulting from shutting down bread stores have brought about an unbearable situation.” ‎

The next critical lawmaker was Valliollah Raeeyat, who represents Ghaem Shahr. ‎Raeeyat addressed Ahmadinejad: “Are you aware of how people in my district, lacking ‎the most basic heating supplies, have managed to survive in the past few days?”‎

Raeeyat added: “in his press conference yesterday, rather than apologizing from the ‎public, the minister of oil played with words and said that gas is not cut off, but just that ‎the pressure is low due to cold weather… it is not clear in what university the gentlemen ‎at the ministry of oil learned planning, because they still cannot strike a simple balance ‎between supply and demand, exports and savings.” ‎

Raeeyat asked the government: “what is the political benefit of exporting cheap gas to ‎Pakistan? Why does the Iranian government have to pay for peace between India and ‎Pakistan by selling its gas for cheap?” ‎

Meanwhile, oil minister Gholamhossein Nozari appeared in the Majlis and answered the ‎deputies’ question in a closed session. ‎

According to the Mehr news agency, Nozari refused to take responsibility for gas cuts in ‎‎18 provinces, instead blaming Turkmenistan for cutting off gas exports to Iran. Nouzari ‎said: “Turkmenistan cut off gas exports at the worst possible time. The imported gas ‎from Turkmenistan supplies the provinces of Golestan, Gilan, and Mazandaran, and the ‎surplus imports supply Western and Eastern Azerbaijan and Kurdistan." ‎

The minister proceeded to blame “unprecedented” cold weather for the crisis, noting that ‎several people have died in Russia from cold as well! ‎

Yesterday, official news agencies reported that ten people in Tehran, three in Yazd, and ‎seven in Meshkin Shahr lost their lives in explosions caused by faulty domestic gas tanks. ‎

Meanwhile, a power crisis threatens to cut off electricity to several cities across Iran. ‎