A big protest rally was taken out by MEPCO employees against privatisation of power units like LESCO and PESCO from the Bakhtiar Hall which reached at Chowk Nawan Shehr where they observed sit-in for six hours and created traffic jam from Abdali Road to LMQ road and Nawan Shehr chowk causing enormous hardships for motorists for over two hours.
The rally, taken out on the call of All-Pakistan Hydro-Electric Labour Union led by Chairman Chaudhry Ghulam Rasul, Malik Saeed and was participated by a large number of WAPDA workers. The participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans against privatisation and power tariff hike. On reaching Nawan Shehr Chowk, the protesters staged a sit-in on one side of the road, while a good number of other participants of the rally also occupied other part of the road blocking the entire traffic on both sides of the road for more than two hours. Addressing the protestors the speakers hit hard the government for its plan to privatise electric bodies like IESCO and PESCO which according to him is generating huge income for the national exchequer. He also criticised the government for increasing the power tariff with regular intervals since coming into power some eight months ago. All steps are being taken to put burden on the already burdened people particularly the common man.
People are facing nuisance of power load shedding even in winter and the government instead of providing them relief from this problem is raising power tariff after every second month. He said the employees of WAPDA would not give up their protest movement which has been launched all over the province of Punjab until the government withdraws the plan of privatising power units. During the protest rally and sit-in a heavy police contingent remained on duty to avert any untoward situation. In the meantime, the motorists due to traffic's suspension, expressed their deep concern and anger over holding of demonstrations and taking out of protest rallies on busy Road by the protestors, government, private and social organisations.
All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro-Electric Workers Union has rejected the privatisation of WAPDA and has announced no compromise on privatisation and warned taking out countrywide rallies and protest movement against the conspiracy of destroying national institution. The protestors warned for switching off the main national transmission line to discontinue the power supply to the country until the privatisation plan is not withdrawn. The WAPDA Hydro-Electric Workers Union has been talking with other labour organisations to extend the protest drive at country's every nook and corner.
They demanded the government for its failure to control inflation that had made life of the common man miserable. Carrying banners in support of their demands, the protesters shouted slogans against the IMF, World Bank and privatisation. They said the government allocate lion's share from the fiscal budget and resources to develop new hydro- and thermal-power houses in the public sector to overcome the electricity shortfall that had affected every sphere of life.
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