Power supply suspension in Punjab: APTMA threatens to lay off workers

HAMID WALEED

LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) leadership has given a deadline of December 28, to the Ministry of Water and Power for the restoration of electricity supply to textile mills in Punjab, failing of which may result into laying off some 10 million textile workers in Punjab.

Addressing a press conference at the end of an emergent general body meeting of APTMA Punjab with jam-packed attendance of Faisalabad and Multan offices through video link, Chairman APTMA Punjab Shahzad Ali Khan termed it a ‘Black Day’ in the history of APTMA when the government cut both electricity and gas supply to textile mills for indefinite period.

He said there was complete shutdown of electricity since December 22nd afternoon and more than 48 hours were passed and still textile industry in Punjab was clueless about the fate of energy supply.

He said the industry was recovering from the negative impact of strike of transporters at the Karachi port that the Ministry of Water and Power bombarded it with electricity blackout. “The industry has lost total hope and has got united on the platform of APTMA for next strategy,” he said.

Central Chairman APTMA Ahsan Bashir said APTMA had never witnessed the situation in its history, as energy shortfall had totally been shifted to the industry in Punjab. “There is 100 percent energy supply cut and the situation is quite mind-boggling for millers,” he said.

He raised a pertinent question that whether the government was doing it all by design that textile industry was being deprived of all energy sources one after another. The Ministry had put industrial sector at the end of its priority list so far energy supply to the consumers was concerned, he deplored.

He posed some direct questions to the government that should the APTMA lay off workers and also that what the millers should tell the exporters about their production plans.

He said the prevailing crisis was totally matchless in the history of APTMA and there was no other demand but to restore energy supply to the industry in Punjab.

Group Leader Gohar Ejaz was more furious, saying the government would be responsible for any untoward situation if it failed to restore power supply by December 28 i.e. Thursday.

He also lambasted at the advisors of the government suggesting it to supply electricity to domestic consumers at the cost of industry and said categorically that election strategy at the cost of industry viability would cost the advisors heavily.

He said the industry demanded a total of 1,700 MW on independent feeders and it could earn one billion dollar a month as foreign exchange in return.

Gohar said the industry’s labour would be laid off after the deadline of December 28, if government failed to put its load management strategy straight. Also, he said, those behind mismanagement of energy supply should also be taken to the task.