HYDERABAD: An official of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) threatened on Thursday that traders and industrialists would observe a strike if Hesco did not withdraw eight-hour loadshedding in the industrial zone.

Addressing a press conference at the HCCI, chamber’s sub-committee chairman on Hesco Abdul Sattar Khan said long-hours loadshedding had paralysed life, affecting trade activities and industrial production in the city. Chamber representatives Ziauddin and Abdul Qayoom Nusrat were present on the occasion.

He said there were clear directives of the prime minister that industrial sectors should be exempted from loadshedding, but still Hyderabad’s industry was facing power cut from 4pm to 12 midnight, affecting production in 300 industries.

He maintained that this attitude of Hesco would cast adverse effects on exports. Domestic consumers were facing power outage for 10 hours daily which was hitting production in small industries, and processing of pulses and oil by 25 per cent.

He said Hyderabad was producing 1,000 megawatts of energy against the city’s demand of 900 megawatts but the city was being meted out stepmotherly treatment. He urged parliamentarians to raise voice at their forum on this issue.

SUKKUR: Activists of the Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) took out a rally in Thull town of district Jacobabad on Thursday in protest against gas and power loadshedding.

According to reports, the rally led by Asghar Lashari, Mama Amir Bux Soomro, Abdul Ghafoor Buriro and Amar Bhatti started from the main bazaar and reached in front of the local press club after passing through different roads.

Addressing on the occasion, the STP leaders said the people of Thull were facing multiple problems due to gas and power loadshedding; their life had almost been paralysed. It was due to outage and low gas pressure that people went to their workplaces and children to schools without having breakfast because everyone could not afford costly food from hotels.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2015

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