Being the prime victim of energy crisis, the textile industry in Punjab is losing the production capacity of $33 million a day. It may be noted that over 80 percent textile mills are located in Punjab.Especially those solely dependent on power supply from Wapda have virtually collapsed.
Textile mills relying on independent feeders are 20 percent of the total industry. They have no facility of Captive Power Plants (CPPs), which 60 percent of mills have right now. The power-reliant mills are paying additional Rs 10 million against the mills on gas-dependent CPPs in terms of utility bills payment, as a unit generated through gas costs Rs 6 against Rs 12 to the mills on independent feeders.
APTMA leadership is trying to strike a balance by making agitation both for the power-reliant and gas-dependent millers. But still the power-reliant millers are unhappy with the situation. According to them, they are being deprived of level-playing field due to tariff disparity on the one hand and electricity loadshedding on independent feeders on the other. They said they could not even ask for doubling the gas price for CPPs, as it would also brought 60 percent of the industry into trouble.
Sources close to the APTMA leadership told Business Recorder that the leadership is trying to take the gas-dependent millers out of crisis. Once it is done, fight for lesser part of the industry will be easy. But the power-dependent believe that it would be too late by then as for how long they can compromise on viability of their units and wait for turning the tide in their favour.
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