Power crisis: Businessmen ask govt to take urgent steps

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Business community has warned the government that there would be severe public reaction if ongoing power crisis is not taken seriously and immediate measures are not taken to resolve the power issue.

Acting Chairman PIAF Nadir Kamal Usman, Chairman Auto parts manufacturers and exporters association and chairman Lahore Township industries association Iftikhar Bashir said that 20 hours load shedding has forced more than 300 industrial units to lose down their operations in the Lahore town ship industrial area. They said that only three hours electricity was being supplied to the industrial area.

They added that due to wrong government policies and mismanaged affairs, the industry had almost collapsed and industrialists are left with no other option but to stage protest. They said if steps had been taken well on time to enhance the power generation, the situation would have been far better.

They added that Lahore township industrial estate is the largest industrial area of Punjab where industrial units including textile, engineering, auto parts, plastic, ghee, ice cream; dying, pharmaceutical, steel beverage, hosiery and food are operational, also these units are providing employment to near 40,000 people while paying billion rupees to the national exchequer but unfortunately, the concerned gas and power authorities never bothered to take them on board evolving any policies regarding load shedding.

They continued that Lahore township industrial area is facing massive unannounced load shedding of gas and electricity, which is hitting industrial production very hard.

Further addressing the problems they said that sword of unemployment is hanging on the heads of industrial workers in the wake of non-availability of gas and electricity but the government is playing the role of silent spectator. They said that the industrial area which is hub of production is presenting a deserted look as a large number of industrial units had stopped production.

They opined that the economic crisis would further deepen in coming days as industry has failed to fulfill existing export orders what to talk of any new orders. Those who are thinking that economy would be back on rails soon are actually living in fool's paradise as the situation has already gone out of hands and special measures will be need to control the situation, they added  They demanded of the government to arrange early payments of the IPPs to overcome the prolonged load shedding.