LAHORE, Nov 20: Representatives of six trade unions have demanded that the government review its decision to further increase electricity tariff as it will merely accelerate inflation and aggravate poverty.

The demand was raised through a resolution unanimously adopted at a meeting of the Punjab chapter of Pakistan Workers Confederation (PWC) presided over by provincial president Rubina Jameel at Labour Hall on Wednesday.

Instead of burdening the consumers, the government should make functional the closed electricity generation units, including steam-powered stations and gas turbine stations at Faisalabad, Shahdara, Kotri, Panjgoor and other thermal power stations, said the resolution adopted by representatives of the unions, including Pakistan Workers Federation, Muttahida Labour Federation, All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, National Trade Union Federation, Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation and Port Workers Federation Pakistan.

Veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmed presented the resolution along with PWC Vice-President Yousaf Baloch, Akbar Ali Khan, Osama Tariq, Khushi Muhammad Khokhar, Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah and others.

Installation of plant that had been idle for years at the Thermal Power Complex of Faisalabad should be expedited besides upgrading and overhauling all machines and boilers of units like the turbines of Muzaffargarh and Guddu stations and the hydel machine at Tarbela to increase their generation capacity.

The resolution proposed legislation to declare pilferage of electricity and gas a cognisable offence. The field staff responsible for detecting energy pilferage or recovery of dues should be provided with appropriate security.

Recovery of outstanding dues from KESC, government departments and agencies should be made on a priority basis. Tariff for industrial enterprises, which have their own power houses but supply electricity to Wapda at higher rates, should be rationalised. The resolution demanded that work should be expedited on new hydel, coal, thermal, coastal and biogas power projects. A country-wide campaign should be launched for conservation of energy by closing commercial centres after sunset like other countries and the surplus energy should be supplied to the industry and agriculture.

The government should focus on development of infrastructure to overcome serious electricity loadshedding and provide cheaper electricity and gas to industry and agriculture to overcome alarming rate of unemployment.

Through another resolution, the meeting expressed concern over the recent killings of innocent people in Rawalpindi and urged the government to award exemplary punishment to the accused involved in the gruesome act.

The meeting also decided to convene a conference of trade union representatives and workers next month at Lahore to chalk out future course of action.