Aptma concerned over power, gas shortages

LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Chairman S M Tanveer has expressed concerns over continuing mismatch in electricity and gas supplies to the Punjab-based textile mills over the last three weeks, resulting in closure of one shift and layoff of workers, a statement said on Tuesday.
He deplored the Punjab-based textile industry operations are in distress due to short supply of both electricity and gas. All cries of industry are falling on the deaf ears of the NTDC / DISCOs, he said.
At present, he said, the Punjab-based textile mills are getting six hours a day gas supply and 16 hours a day electricity supply, leaving the industry with a mismatch of two hours a day and halting mills’ operations to run below capacity to the extent of one shift.
The textile industry due to energy supply suspension has been unable to produce goods meant for export or for the use to produce value-added products.
Tanveer said the suspension of the power supply to the Punjab-based textile mills has panicked the workers and their frustration is on the rise with each passing day.
The Aptma chairman said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had issued special directives to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the Punjab-based textile mills.
Unfortunately, the NTDC has failed to obey the directives and the DISCOs are exposing the Punjab-based textile mills to risk by not supplying power to the mills.
He appealed the prime minister, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Muhammad Asif and Minister for Textile Industry Abbas Khan Afridi to take stock of the situation and direct the Punjab-based DISCOs to restore power supply to the textile mills on independent feeders immediately.