LAHORE, Nov 19: The Pakistan Steel Re-Rolling Mills Association (PSRMA) has called for restoration of electricity and gas supply to the industry as their suspension has deprived hundreds of thousands of workers of their jobs besides causing a huge financial loss to the millers and the government.

In a statement on Monday, PSRMA Lahore Circle Vice-Chairman Murad Ashraf said steel millers were shocked by the abrupt electricity suspension because they were already without gas and unable to understand logic behind such decision.

“Gas supply remains suspended most of the days in a month and during the time it is restored its low pressure does not permit the millers to start productions,” he said and added the government should implement some innovative methodology to overcome the low pressure phenomenon.

“At a time when furnaces and re-rolling mills have already laid off workers and are operating with the skeleton staff because of non-supply of gas, the sudden suspension of electricity has sent a wave of shock to the workers and owners.

How the industrialists can continue paying their workers while industries remain closed. The situation may create a law and order situation if millions jobless workers took to the streets,” said Mr Ashraf.