For over 600 industries of Faisalabad region: SNGPL announces new five-day gas loadshedding plan

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has announced new five days Gas-shedding programme (January 15 to 19) for more than 600 industries of Faisalabad Region after restoration of gas after six day gas shedding, here Thursday.
Talking to newsmen, Chaudhry Salamat Ali, Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMA) North Zone said that export oriented & Labour Intensive Value Added Textile Industry had already suffered due to massive Gas-shedding during the December 2010 and January 2011.
He pointed out Textile Industry becoming Sick and billion dollars of investment in Punjab is sinking and industrialists are waiting for fulfilling the promises of Prime Minister of Pakistan. Although, SNGPL restored Gas to the industries for two days but Gas pressure is very low and fifty- percent industry have not yet started their routine work due to uncertainty of Energy Crisis.
Chaudhry Salamat Ali said that the international buyers are rapidly diverting towards rival countries and no body support our textile industry to make Pakistan prosperous. To save industry from disaster due to continuous gas closure, he added and appealed to government to honour commitment for continuous supply to textile industry for 5 days a week on regular basis to save industry before its collapse.
He mentioned that six days Gas- shedding in a week will come with extreme consequences to the national economy especially industrialisation in Punjab, where investment of billion rupees is sinking and industrialists are facing severe financial crunch and not in position to pay their loans to the banks.
Addressing a joint meeting of Textile Associations, Sheikh Muhammad Saeed, Regional Chairman, All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association criticised that government had adopted a discriminatory policy for the up country industries, as supply of gas to Punjab had been halted for almost six days a week, whereas the other provinces were enjoying nearly uninterrupted supply of gas. Textile processors and exporters are badly affected by prolonged Gas-Shedding of SNGPL and industrialists are facing great problems in maintaining production cycles, he added.
Rana Zahid Tauseef ex-MNA said that due to six or five days stoppage of gas, textile industry is unable to produce exportable goods which will result in complete halt to national exports. Hundred workers become jobless and no body bothered to overcome the national loss.
Rana Mushtaq Khan, Chairman, Faisalabad Garment City, Choudhry Muhammad Aslam ex-Chairman PHMA, Adil Manzoor Elahi, Acting Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Sheikh Abdul Qayyum, former President, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other trade leaders also addressed the meeting.
Sheikh Muhammad Bashir, Acting President Anjuman-e-Tajran Faisalabad expressed grave concern over the uncontrolled Energy Crisis in Punjab and said that the prevailing situation is yielding negative impact over the business activities. First time in the history, which shows that gas suspension to the Punjab industry, is a well-planned conspiracy.
The industrial activities were already frozen because of mismanagement and unfriendly course of action of the present regime, while the worst gas shortage throwing more fuel to the fire. He said that Punjab Chief Minister contacted Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani who announced 5-day gas supply to the Punjab but implementation of decision was not seemed. He said it was also decided that a uniform policy with regard to load shedding of gas will be implemented throughout the country but only Punjab was facing this problem which is sheer injustice and violation of provincial rights.
Meanwhile, scheduled and unscheduled load shedding of Electricity and Gas is creating problems for the citizens bringing their routine life to a halt. Many CNG stations were also remained closed on sixth day because of extremely low Gas pressure. In various parts of industrial city, Eight to ten hours of load shedding is being observed against the scheduled, which is adding fuel to fire.