Industrialists of Sundar Industrial Estate (SIE) staged a protest demonstration on Thursday against unannounced loadshedding which they claimed has inflicted a loss of Rs 250 million in shape of wastage of raw material. At present 260 factories are manufacturing different products in Sundar Industrial Estate and owners blocked the road and staged a demonstration in front of the office of Lahore Electricity Supply Company (LESCO) situated in the industrial area to express their anguish.
Sundar Industrial Estate Board of Management's President Ahsen Butt alleged that LESCO officials were diverting the electricity of its share to some other areas and he could provide proof of it. He said there are many important industries working in sectors of life-saving drugs, textile and others and these could not be stopped all of a sudden as it results in wastage of raw material.
He claimed that LESCO officials shut electricity of whole of the industrial estate after serving a two hours notice at 12 noon though the scheduled timing of loadshedding was from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. He said that they are in constant touch with LESCO chairman but lower staff is not ready to pay heed to their issues. Ahsen Butt appealed to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Minister for Power Khawaja Asif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of injustices of LESCO officials and ensure prompt steps to avoid any such incident in future and compensation to the industrialists.