DCO, Saeed Wahlah has conveyed the problems of power loom industry owners to the higher authorities and wrote a letter to the Secretary Industries Punjab stating that protest and rallies may start if their demands are not met. He apprised the authorities of the severity of the issue and requested them to bring the factual position into the notice of CM Punjab.
The DCO stated in the letter that according to the power loom owner that export of cotton and yarn, which was essential raw material of cotton industry has increased manifold due to withdrawal of regulatory and export duty on it by the Federal government some two years back. Furthermore, the demand of cotton and yarn had also increased in China due to its poor crops this year.
These factors have collectively encouraged the export of raw material from Pakistan and there by resulted in to less availability at home. Consequently price of raw material have inflated for instance, 100 pound yarns bag has increased from Rs 6000 to Rs 9500 and even at this rate it is not available in the market.
Due to high cost of production, this industry is unable to compete in the open market. It has been mentioned in the DCO's letter that disillusioned by this situation power looms owners have been left with no option but to close down their industry or down size the labour.
The stakeholders of power looms sector submitted that their grievances have not been redressed so far and gravity of the situation is swelling with each passing day, the letter described. The DCO informed that the power loom industry owners had threatened to lay off the labour engaged in this industry and would hold wide spread demonstrations and hunger strikes.
In the prevailing situation it is apprehended that law and order situation may be in the offing, he maintained. The DCO requested the Secretary Industry to bring the matter into notice of CM with the request to resolve the issue with in collaboration with Federal government.