The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) is going to hold a crucial meeting on energy crisis with the Federal government on Monday in a situation where gas supply to industry is already in doldrums ahead of winter season. The Aptma delegation, under the leadership of Chairman Gohar Ejaz, will call on Federal Minister for Textile Farooq Saeed and Federal Minister for Petroleum Naveed Qamar.
The delegation will apprise both ministers about the existing crisis of gas supply to the industry. Gohar said that the textile industry is being denied gas supply in accordance with the decision of Energy Summit that there would be once a week load shedding for textile industry during a week during low pressure period.
As per this arrangement, the industry is supposed to face gas load shedding for 24 days in total during winter load management period. Instead, it has already suffered 52 days gas load shedding during summer season alone, he deplored, adding: "The crucial period of winter has yet to start."
However, he said, the industry has suffered gas closure for 15 days solely in October despite the fact that winter season has yet to set in when gas supply would face low pressure in Punjab. He said that the industry remained without gas supply for three consecutive days during first week of November and the crucial gas load management period has yet to start by December 1.
He said a hurried landing of Federal Petroleum Minister in Lahore during last week had also failed to develop tangible improvement. According to him, the judicious economic contribution of textile industry was far ahead of the fertiliser industry and the CNG pumps, as 15 million direct and indirect workforce is attached to the textile throughout the country.