Industrialists and exporters of various textile associations and Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) took out a protest procession and staged sit-in outside the City District Government, here Thursday, against three or four-day gas shedding in each week.
More than 600 industrial units in Faisalabad region were remained closed on consecutive eighth day, while Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has started new gas shedding schedule for three days from Thursday morning. SNGPL also suspended the gas supply to 380 CNG Gas stations in the region, while low gas pressure is also affecting the public consumers and disturbing the routine life cycle.
Addressing a protest rally, the leaders of industrialists and textile exporters have expressing deep concerns over sudden downward revision in gas supply to textile sector four-day in each week. Chaudhry Salamat Ali, Chief Co-ordinator and former Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (North Zone) has demanded that the gas supply to value-added export oriented textile sector should be provided for five days in each week and bailout package should be given to sick industry.
The textile industry has already suffered gas disruption of 165 days during current calendar year and it is likely to reach to 185 days in case the present trend continues ahead, he added. He pointed out that 4 million dollars worth textile export orders for Christmas sales destined to Europe and USA are going to be defaulted due to 3-4 days a week gas shutdown and phenomenal increase in prices of electricity, gas and petroleum products.
About four lakh workers most of them daily wagers are become jobless since last week and this situation will continue till December 11 due to mismanagement of the gas shedding. Buying orders for textile goods placed with Pakistani exporters were under manufacturing process but gas outages were hindering the completion and timely delivery of export consignments, he added.