By Noor Aftab
Rawalpindi
Almost all shopkeepers have been keeping their outlets open till late hours in defiance of the energy conservation plan announced by the federal government.
According to the plan, it is mandatory for all shopkeepers to close down their outlets at 9 p.m. from June 1 to August 31 to help overcome the problem of electricity loadshedding.
Most outlets in shopping plazas of the city remain open after 9 p.m. contrary to directives issued by the government with a large number of shoppers turning up till late night.
The government has also revived the policy implemented in 2001 to advance clocks by one hour for three months (from June 1 to August 31) to take advantage of the daylight. It means that the original time at which traders are supposed to shut down their shops is 8 p.m. — generally considered peak hours for shopping in the summer season.
“Three- to four-hour electricity loadshedding at daytime and shutting down business after sunset means we should pack up and forget about our business. Why does the government want to make us subject to wrong policies of previous governments which failed to generate power resources? If shops are closed at 9 p.m. then there should be no loadshedding at daytime,” said Muhammad Umer, who runs a shop in Saddar.
Interestingly, shoppers turn up in markets and bazaars after sunset that coincides with the time period given to shut down shops. It is difficult for shopkeepers to close down their outlets amidst continuous inflow of shoppers in markets.
“In sizzling summer temperatures, it is difficult to go to markets with children in the afternoon. We always prefer to go for shopping in the evening to purchase products of our choice by going through maximum number of shops,” said Kausar Rehman, a housewife, at Commercial Market.
Workingwomen are of the view that the government should prepare short- and long-term plans to overcome the power crisis instead of disrupting the routine life of common people.
“It is simply impossible for us to go for shopping before sunset because we have to spend some time at home after returning from our workplaces. If shops are closed down at sunset, it means we should go straight to markets while returning from our offices,” said Rehana Batool, an NGO employee.
Traders interviewed by ‘The News’ said that political governments were supposed to formulate effective policies to address basic issues rather than putting burden of their failures on the common man. The ongoing electricity loadshedding has been badly affecting business activities so the government should immediately take effective measures to help traders and immediately withdraw the decision to close shops down at 9 p.m.
“Why didn’t they construct dams keeping in view the fast increasing energy demands? And is there only one solution to the growing energy crisis that traders are forced to shut down their businesses just after sunset? We hope that the government would find out a workable solution to this problem,” said Mubashir Hussain, a shopkeeper at Awan Market.
Mansoor Akhtar, a shopkeeper at Ghakar Plaza, Saddar, said that he use eight litres of diesel in power generator during three-hour loadshedding at daytime. “In spite of the fact that we have to bear extra expenditures due to use of generators if we close down our shops at sunset then how can we be able to run our businesses,” he added.