Chamber of small traders and traders alliance Thursday rejected energy conservation measures announced by the ministry of water and power for upcoming six months, describing them infeasible and illogical and said that these would not help lessen the impact of the country's growing energy crisis.
It is a failure experiment, which is repeated time and again but could not lessen the miseries of power consumers. They said they have to face 12 to 16 hours load-shedding in the hottest weather. The traders said that the ministry has claimed that under the energy conservation measures, usage of all lights at government installations including offices of President, Prime Minister, Provincial Chief Ministers, Federal Cabinet, and other public offices would be reduced by 50 percent which is not applicable. Instead, government has installed big searchlights on important buildings for security reasons, they pointed out.
Expressing their views, Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq, Chairman of Pakistan Traders Alliance, Jafar Shah Chairman, Khalid Mehmood Qureshi President of Chamber of Small Traders, Malik Nazir Ahmed Aawan Chairman of All Pakistan Markazi Anjuman Tajiran cantonment boards, Tariq Mehmood Malik and Sultan Mehmood Malik of Mutahidda Tajir Ittehad said that Officers of grade 16, 17 and 18 are using air-conditioners in the guise of computers installed in their offices. They never switch off their ACs even during the peak power demand hours, they alleged. The traders also rejected the idea of five working days with two-day weekly off in all government and allied offices.
They further said that street crimes would be increased with the reduction in usage of all streetlights and suspension of power supply to billboards and commercial decorative lighting. They also rejected the recommendation of shutting down markets by 8PM and said that the measures would destroy country's economy besides ruination of businesses because customers come out of their shelters after sun-set for shopping and they cannot even think to go to bazaars in the hottest weather.
They termed it a self-deception that these measures would save round about 1,000 to 1,100 megawatt electricity. The traders observed that government never fulfilled its commitment of ensuring uninterrupted power supply to traders, domestic consumers and industrial sector so that there is no negative impact on the economic development. Meanwhile, Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) spokesman said that new digital electricity meters would be installed, adding that a system to check power theft is in place and strict action would be taken against violators.