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| July 10, 2006 | Monday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 13, 1427 |
Outages hit industrial units
SIALKOT, July 9: Industrial units in various districts are sustaining huge losses owing to prolonged unscheduled loadshedding.
The Sialkot businessmen claimed here on Sunday that foreign customers had cancelled their scores of import orders as Sialkot exporters were unable to timely dispatch consignments due to about 18 to 20 hours long daily loadshedding.
Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association (SIMA) chairman Naeem Anwar Qureshi told newsmen that 16 to 18 hours long daily suspension of electricity was causing severe financial losses to sports, leather and surgical instruments industries.
He said of 5,000 small and big units in Sialkot, most of them were closed, resulting in joblessness.
Daska Engineering and Industrial Association secretary information Shahid Nadeem Mughal said farm machinery manufacturing industry was badly hit by the unscheduled loadshedding as almost all units remained closed on Sunday for the fourth consecutive day.
Chairman of SCCI’s sub-committee on Wapda, Mian Anwar, said despite repeated assurances made by Gepco officials to the Sialkot business community, the power company remained unable to give any schedule of electricity loadshedding.
Meanwhile, Sialkot District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema has expressed his concern over the outages.
Another four people died and several others fainted due to intense humidity and scorching heat in the city, as loadshedding continued for 16 consecutive hours in many parts of the district.
According to reports, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Bashir, Ghulam Rasool and Sakeena Bibi died in the city. Seven people, including three children, fainted and were admitted to Sialkot hospital where the condition of five of them was stated to be critical.
SHEIKHUPURA: As many as 40 owners of various industrial units have criticised the government for unscheduled loadshedding.
Association of industries chief executive Momin Qamar told a press conference here on Sunday that the government was getting more than Rs7 billion in the form of taxes from 380 industrial units working in the district.
He said power outages had reduced production by 70 per cent.
The chief executive said: “We have held many meetings with Lesco high-ups at all levels, but they have not lived up to their commitments.”
He said if the government did not resolve the problem, they would have no other option except to close down their units.
He demanded that the government should exempt Sheikhupura paper and board industry from sales tax during the period of power crisis.
SAHIWAL: Rice Mills Owner Association president Chaudhry Muhammad Zubair on Sunday announced closure of factories in rural areas because of eight hours long unscheduled loadshedding by Mepco. He has demanded suspension of the officials concerned.
He claimed that Wapda had directed Mepco and other power distribution companies to suspend supply for three-hours to meet the demand of Islamabad and other big cities. The Sahiwal circle of Mepco had unilaterally enhanced power suspension by six hours, he said.
FAISALABAD: Protest demonstrations were held against unscheduled loadshedding in different parts of the district.
Scores of people of Al-Najaf Colony and its adjoining residential areas took out demonstration outside the Fesco sub-divisional office. They said four- to six-hour loadshedding had become a routine.
Another rally was taken out in Samundri while in Jaranwala, a mob threw traffic out of gear by placing burnt tyres on main roads.
KASUR: Several social and political organisations continued their protest against unscheduled loadshedding as the Lahore Electric Supply Company failed to improve the situation.
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