KARACHI: Small traders on Friday demanded for an immediate end to power outages in Orangi Town’s cottages industrial area, saying that the electricity cuts have “ravaged” their businesses, despite paying hefty bills.
“The relentless prolonged load shedding is destroying the cottage industry;” President of the All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industries Karachi, Mehmood Hamid said.
He said that the power cuts have crippled the production, seeking for an uninterrupted electricity supplies to the local cottage industries in Orangi Town’s Gulshan-e-Zia Phase-II to let the output thrive.
During a meeting with a visiting delegation from Gulshan-e-Zia Cottage Industries at the Small Traders Secretariat, he warned the authorities of a protest if the K-Electric continues power outages.
Blaming the KE for rising unemployment in the metropolis, he said that the power supplying company is “exploitative” and ruining the well-established setups by long hours electricity cuts.
“On one hand, K-Electric is looting by issuing inflated bills, and on the other hand, its cruel load shedding is economically killing the cottage industry and starving the public,” Mehmood Hamid said.
If the K-Electric does not mend its ways, he warned that the cottage owners and workers will lay siege to K-Electric’s Integrated Business Centres in protest.
He also appealed to the Chief Minister of Sindh to take notice of this injustice and put an end to K-Electric’s oppressive actions.
Leaders of the Gulshan-e-Zia Cottage Industry, including Rehan Siddiqui and Aamir Mateen, informed Mehmood Hamid that their small industries are being severely impacted by hours of load shedding, leaving workers idle.
They explained that overtime work increases production costs twofold, contributing to rising unemployment and increased crime in the city. They added that K-Electric officials are not ready to listen to their grievances.
Showing concerns, they said that the despite paying exorbitant bills, they are being systematically destroyed. Mehmood Hamid assured the delegation that the.organization stand in solidarity with the cottage industry and will not allow anyone to lose their livelihood.
He pledged to meet with K-Electric officials to put an end to this oppressive load shedding. If their demands are not met, they will resort to protests.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024