The Chief Executive of electric power company (Gepco) Rana Muhammad Ashraf Zahid has said that duration of electricity load shedding has been reduced to nine from ten hours daily to facilitate industrial sector of Sialkot and there would be no unscheduled load shedding in future in the area.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Friday at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) he said that this immediate step has been taken to keep the economic wheel in full motion and enabling the exporters and manufacturers to fulfil their international commitments easily.
The duration of power outage had been increased due to closure of canals and hopefully the situation of electricity supply would improve within couple of weeks, he said. He disclosed that there is a demand of 11,000 megawatt electricity, out of which shortfall of the electricity is 4000 megawatt in the region. The Gepco chief executive disclosed that Rs two billion were being spent during current fiscal period on various development schemes pertaining to improvement of electricity system in the region.
Under the programme, special attention has been accorded on reduction of line losses, upgradation of transformers, improvement and installation of grid station and installation of new electricity wires for ensuring interruption free power supply to the consumers especially the industrial sector of the region, he added.
While addressing the members of different trade bodies at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) he said that reduction schedule of electricity would be prepared with the consultation of all trade bodies. He assured that Gepco would further reduce the duration of electricity load shedding after the release of water in canals.
On this occasion, the members of the trade bodies demanded that Sialkot should be exempted from the load shedding for the larger national interest. In his address of welcome president SCCI Hassan Ali Bhatti said that Gepco should concentrate on replacing old transformers and reduce the power connections on 100 KV transformers immediately for avoiding the losses.