All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Punjab has expressed grave concern over the gas load shedding of the textile industry and termed it detrimental to the growth of industry. A general body meeting of the APTMA Punjab held with Chairman APTMA Punjab Gohar Ejaz in the chair. The meeting discussed in detail the existing state of affairs in the industry with the unprecedented load shedding of gas during summer season.
The members feared that the industry would have to bear colossal losses in case no immediate reversal to the prevailing situation takes place. The general body of the APTMA also stressed for level playing field to the industrial units operational in all the federating units of the country.
They said any discrimination in gas distribution would develop a sense of deprivation among APTMA members that may have dire consequences. They said the APTMA Punjab members were having strong reservations that they are being singled out in the face of energy shortfall both on electricity and gas fronts.
According to them, they were unable to understand how the industrial units in Sindh and NWFP can be operational when there was a severe shortage of both electricity and gas in the country. The APTMA Punjab members said the government should ensure equitable distribution of energy resources to all industrial units in the country.
He said the SNGPL had informed that the gas shortage to the industry would be over in two weeks time but now it is being feared that the industry would have to suffer it throughout summer season. The general body resolved to renegotiate with the central government as well as the Ministry of Petroleum and the SNGPL before finalising its future strategy on gas load shedding to the textile industry in Punjab.