Industrial consumers: MD Pepco hints at end of loadshedding soon

Managing Director (MD), Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Rasul Khan Mehsud, has hinted at end of load shedding for industrial consumers soon. He was addressing the Aptma members at the Punjab office of the association on Monday. He said the prime minister has made serious efforts in working out ways to end load shedding.
According to him, the prime minister has issued instructions to the Ministry of Finance for release of funds to pay dues of PSO. It would improve power generation and a new schedule would be shared with the industry soon, which would be in accordance with the industry's wishes, he added. He expressed his deep gratitude the honour extended by the textile industry in response to his efforts in ensuring maximum supply during unprecedented gas loadshedding in Punjab.
According to him, in a recent hearing at Peshawar High Court he had put textile and agriculture sectors at his top priority in providing electricity. He said the Judge was not happy with his reply and said the common man was dying of miseries. The MD Pepco said he assured the court that the common man would at least not die of hunger, as his policy of supplying electricity to industry would keep him employed. He deplored that the media was not trying to understand his philosophy and keeps on highlighting domestic sector loadshedding out of proportion.
He assured the industry of resolving the outstanding issues in the days to come. Speaking on the occasion, the Lesco chief Sharafat Sial said the Lesco recovery was 139 percent higher than last month. Aptma group leader Gohar Ejaz said the industry secured $4 billion increase in exports last year. However, the gas supply has been suspended in Punjab for 173 days, followed by complete put off from in December 25 onwards till date, causing a loss of $305 million.