LAHORE – The industrialists have complained that exceptionally low pressure of gas supply has crippled whole industry across the Punjab as CNG pumps are extracting gas from pipelines through their heavy compressors while authorities concerned have turned their deaf ears to this menace. Should the industry follow the suit to fulfil its demand for gas, they asked.
They said the gas supply on the SNGPL network was below 50 per cent against contractual pressure and sometimes it reaches to the level of zero per cent. They deplored the unilateral decision of SNGPL for unfair and inequitable disconnections of gas supply to textile industry during ATAs of gas fields in July as utility has not taken industry stakeholders into confidence.
As per prevailing schedule, the SNGPL is bound to provide five days a week uninterrupted gas supply to industry in Punjab, said APTMA spokesperson.
Earlier, he said, a move was underway to deprive textile industry for another day from gas supply but timely intervention of authorities concerned averted the move.
Spokesman said it seems that some invisible hands were operative to make textile industry inoperative in Punjab, as time and again these elements hit the viability of textile industry in Punjab.
He said the uncertainty of gas availability not only causing operational losses but also at time mills are paying their labourers without deploying them to work.
The textile clusters like Manga Raiwind Road and Sheikhupura Road are almost out of order and textile workers are becoming jobless with every passing day, that may cause law and order situation ahead, he warned.
He said textile industry in Punjab has already witnessed gas supply cut for 184 days during the outgoing fiscal year.
However, the situation has been becoming worst since last 10 days when the phenomenon of low gas pressure crippled the operations of textile industry altogether across the Punjab, he added.
He strongly criticised imprudent tactics of managing shortage of gas unfairly for export-oriented textile industry.
Spokesman said state of national economy was already presenting a gloomy picture, as the current account deficit has reached to $3.4 billion against $466 million surplus last fiscal year besides an upward jump in balance of trade from $8.25 billion to $12.5 billion, reduction in reserves by $2 billion, drop in foreign investments by half, increase in industry NPLs by 30 percent and unemployment rate to 6pc. Also, he said there is heavy rupee depreciation and drop in exports by over 30pc in quantity terms with no new investment in the industry. Rather, he added, the volume of textile imports is on the rise, making fast inroads to local market and no one in the industry has idea as what the policy-makers and the utility agencies want to do with this country. APTMA has urged President, Prime Minister and authorities concerned to immediately intervene and save industry from total collapse that is already bearing heavy losses.