GUJRAT, Jan 8: Unscheduled loadshedding of electricity and gas has forced the manufacturers of fan, furniture, pottery and other industries to close their units, rendering scores of workers, especially daily wagers jobless.

Power outages for 10 to 12 hours have been continuing for the last 15 days while the declining pressure of gas supply to industries, particularly furniture and pottery units, has badly affected their business activities. Fan and furniture makers are fearing cancellation of their export orders from various parts of the world.

More than 250 fans, furniture and pottery units had to suspend their production owing to unavailability of electricity and gas. Daily wagers and skilled workers who often work on a contract basis, have been the worst affected people in fan manufacturing units. A number of small industrial estate workers have staged a protest demonstration against the outages.

Meanwhile, traders of Main Muslim Bazaar have also protested against the unscheduled loadshedding and expressed their grave concern over the power crisis.

Pakistan Electric Fan Manufacturers Association (PEFMA) chairman Haji Mohammad Ilyas has called upon the caretaker prime minister and Wapda authorities to take immediate steps to cope with the energy crisis.

“Instead of giving incentives to manufacturers and exporters, the government is creating more problems for them,” Haji Ilyas said.