LAHORE - Chairman-elect All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Punjab S M Tanveer has said that APTMA member mills are the best customers of Lahore Electricity Supply Company (LESCO), as they pay 100% bills with zero line and distribution losses. About 135 member units are energised on LESCO network with a total requirement of 400MW, which is 50% of the industrial load of LESCO, he said. Therefore, he said, uninterrupted power supply to textile industry is in the best interest of both industry and LESCO. He was speaking to the LSECO Chief Arshad Rafique during his visit to the APTMA Punjab House on Friday.
Tanveer said that the textile industry on independent feeders is the largest industrial consumer with average consumption of 3MW on B-3 tariff. Of the total demand of 400MW, hardly 50MW is consumed by the prime users having no alternate viable energy generation source. Therefore, these mills are left with no option but to close down their operations during load shedding. He said majority of member mills are being energised on independent feeders, requiring 400MW of electricity. As per the sales revenue of LESCO for 2012-13, the consumption of member mills is equivalent to Rs5 million per hour or Rs127 million per day, he added.
Tanveer said the LESCO member mills are providing direct employment to 70,000 work force besides 300,000 people indirectly.
Senior Vice Chairman-elect APTMA Punjab Syed Ali Ahsan said the issues like over billing, low voltage, jerks and no prior information about supply cuts due to development work by LESCO are some of the irritants of textile industry and require immediate attention of the authorities concerned.
The LESCO chief Arshad Rafique assured APTMA members of resolving electricity supply and quality issues on top priority of the LESCO. He said the textile industry is very important customer. He said efforts are underway to bring more and more facilities both in the interest of industry and LESCO. He said the LESCO would also strategize to ensure smooth supply of electricity to textile mills during winter.