PESHAWAR, June 7: Complaining of prolonged suspension of power supply to the industrial sector in the province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday accused power distribution companies of ‘misinterpreting’ the recent Supreme Court order for equitable provision of electricity to local industries.

Addressing a news conference here, KPCCI president Dr Yousaf Sarwar said bausinessmen and industrialists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were suffering a great deal as power distribution companies had misinterpreted the Supreme Court order and subjected industrial sectors to long hours of power cuts.

Accompanied by several local businessmen and industrialists, he demanded equitable distribution of electricity in line with the court’s decision to save Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s industries from the excessive loadshedding.

“The domestic and commercial consumers are facing 16-18 hours of unscheduled power suspension and consequently, industrial productivity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has suffered a lot,” he said.

The KPCCI president said the long hours of power cuts to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s industrial sector were unjustified as the province was producing more electricity than its total consumption requirement.

“Our province is generating 5,000 megawatts electricity against which its total consumption requirements are around 2,700 megawatts. Our industries are consuming around 200 megawatts,” he said.

Dr Yousaf said more than 64 per cent of electricity supplied to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was used by domestic and commercial consumers, while industries were using only 19 per cent electricity.

He said power distribution companies should implement the court’s order in letter and spirit by ensuring equitable distribution of power supplies among provinces.

The KPCCI president, however, said power distribution companies had increased the daily duration of power outages by eight hours after the court’s decision came in.

He said industries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were subjected to 12 hours power outages, increasing the loadshedding duration from four hours. Dr Yousaf said industrial and business activities had slowed down due to the excessive loadshedding and as a result, a large number of industrial workers might lose job.

He said the deteriorating power supply situation had negatively impacted on the export-oriented industrial units’ capacity to fulfil their orders and some of them were risking losing business as they could not meet their deadlines. The KPCCI president said the court should order power distribution companies to ensure equitable power distribution and greater power supply to industrial units to help save them from going out of business.

“Job creation is a major challenge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and if the province’s industries continue to experience power outages at the current rate, a large number of people will become jobless,” he said.

Dr Yousaf said the new federal government should embark upon a strategy on emergency basis to utilise Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s known hydel power generation potential.

He said Pesco should implement its decision of providing uninterrupted supply of electricity to regions and sectors with no power theft and higher revenue generation. The KPCCI president said Pesco should also remove illegal hooks from the power distribution lines and poles and improve recovery. KPCCI vice presidents Malik Iftikhar Awan and Zahid Shinwari and presidents of Hayatabad, Hattar and Gadoon Amazai industrial estates were also present on the occasion.