APPLA announces opening markets setting aside coronavirus measures

MULTAN: All Pakistan Power Looms Association (APPLA) Wednesday announced opening of markets and shops by setting aside coronavirus social distancing measures.

Talking to The News, APPLA central president Khaliq Qandil Ansari said coronavirus lockdown had affected the cottage industry badly, leaving hundreds of thousands of daily wagers jobless.

He said the workers have finished their stocked food.

Ansari said: “Our workers are demanding food as they are without money due to closure of shops.

He said the whole sector has collapsed and the Multan Electric Power Company was serving them detection bills against closed units. The partial lockdown exercise is falling in practice to achieve desired results. On the other hand, it is destroying daily wagers to earn their livelihood, he said.

The government has already overburdened the powerloom sector with additional taxes, which chilled the entire sector to create a favorable business environment, he said.

The continuous hike in electricity tariff is another factor killing the loom industry. When loomers shifted their pressing units upon gas, the government had increased prices of gas, he continued.

Many daily wage workers are forced to buy flour and other basic groceries on credit. They pay shopkeepers when they get money, and many have had to sell their belongings to keep afloat.

He said the whole powerloom business runs on credit and they are unable a single penny from traders due to lockdown. Each powerloom owner has limited financial resources and they are unable to feed workers for months.

The big ordeal for them is they are skilled workers but they cannot line up and beg for ration, he said.

Moving into the narrow alleys of Sharifpura, Ahmedabad, Chungi No 14, Manzoorabad, Bagbanpura, Mominabad and Ansar colony one can find loom workers sitting in streets in groups and are busy debating their joblessness and recession.

Over one hundreds of thousands of power looms are operational in those areas, providing jobs to 500,000 workers directly, but the lockdown has cooled down their stoves.

"The APPLA has planned forced opening of markets on April 14 and the association was making arrangements in this connection", said Qandil Ansari. The government had announced financial aid for daily wagers through Ehsas program and Punjab government financial package. On the other hand, the powerloom workers said that no financial help had been extended to them. Many workers complained that they had sent text messages to the helpline and they received messages instructing them to contact the deputy commissioner office.

When contacted, the DC office said the office had not received any financial aid plan so far.

The powerloom workers said they are facing severe problems in earning their livelihoods due to lockdown.

A loom worker Sharifullah works at a loom factory in Manzoorabad, says many people have worked in the local industry for well over 20 years. They are in absolute shock since the closure of looms and they have lost their jobs. Neither they know any other craft nor any skills except loom work.

Some workers in Manzoorabad said the government should allow powerlooms to resume operation after adopting protective measures.

EX-JUDGE PASSES AWAY: Former District and Sessions Judge Aslam Khan died here after a protracted illness and was buried at his ancestral graveyard in Jampur. He received paralyze attack and was under treatment at Multan Nishtar Hospital but failed to survive at the age of 72. He served as Rawalpindi Anti Corruption Court special judge and then retired from judiciary. Hundreds of people including Sardar Jafar Khan Leghari, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Mena Leghari, Sardar Nasrullah Dreshak attended the funeral.