Tariff hike: power loom workers stage protest demonstration

More than 1000 workers and owners of power looms on Monday staged a demonstration at Chowk Manazoorabad to protest against increasing power tariff by 100 percent in three years, and recent increase of Rs 3.04 per unit and failure to supply electricity regularly and sending another proposal to enhance the power tariff further.
Addressing the hunger strikers' camp, All Pakistan Power Looms Association (APPLA) Secretary General Khaliq Qandeem Ansari said: "We would be forced to march towards Islamabad besides organising protest rallies across the country to resist enhancement of the tariff." He said that it had been proved that thermal power stations have capacity to generate electricity according to demand if the smooth supply of furnace oil and gas continues, and there is no shortage of electricity in the country.
Protesters criticised the imposition of fuel adjustment charges of Rs 3.04 per unit and called the decision "unjustified." They said the industry could not sustain the increased costs of business. They said the authorities concerned increased power rates every month without considering its effects on the industrial sector. The protesters demanded that the government should reverse its decision to raise power rates. "Otherwise, we will have no other option but to shut down our units.
This will bring labourers on the roads," said Khaliq, He said that the power looms industry, which is source of income for thousands of poor people, had been badly affected by 8 to 10 hours long load shedding, which had made power loom owners bankrupt and pushed thousands of workers out of jobs. Delay in meeting deadlines had caused supply orders to be cancelled and payments stopped. They demanded that the corrupt, dishonest and bad reputed elements must be removed from distribution companies, surcharge on electricity bills should be withdrawn, overloaded transformers should be upgraded and power supply to disconnected units should be restored. The protesters told journalists that if their problems were not solved they would expand their protest to other areas of the province.