Despite a very hot summer and current shortfall of 4000 MW electricity in the country, the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) has exempted all Industrial electricity feeders including industrial dominated feeders from loadshedding by better load management in the region.
GEPCO spokesman told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the power distribution company is carrying out six hours loadshedding in the commercial and residential areas of the cities daily and eight hours power cut in the rural areas and tubewell feeders. But industrial feeders in the region comprising Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad districts have been exempted.
It may be added that Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat are Pakistan's golden (export) triangle where about 60 percent of the country's SME's are located. Narowal, Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad districts are famous for producing cash crop Basmati rice. PEPCO sources said Electricity demand is anticipated to increase by between 600 and 800 megawatts this year and will offset an increase in power generation, but better expected availability from the hydropower resources this year will help improve supply to the industrial sector.
GEPCO spokesman further told this scribe that GEPCO CEO Junaid Akhtar had suspended five Sub-Divisional Officers on account of their poor performance, failure in mobile meter reading and negligence from duty. Meanwhile, Additional Director General Material Management GEPCO, Aurangzeb Malhi has said that there is sufficient material available in the store for single phase and three phase connections in the region. No application for a new connection is pending due to shortage of material.
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