‘Give us gas and electricity!’

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) came hard on their consumers on Wednesday by closing electricity and gas supply, resulting in protests by the consumers. The domestic consumers protested against LESCO for eight to ten hours of unscheduled load shedding in the city. The residents of the walled city blocked the Circular Road, burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the LESCO. The gas pressure also lowered in the city for the domestic users. The SNGPL managing director has convened a meeting of the stakeholders to form a strategy to overcome the gas shortage, the sources said, adding that the shortfall of gas has increased sharply due to increased domestic use in winter.
The SNGPL has decided to close the gas supply to the industries for overcoming gas shortage. The decision triggered panic among the business community and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) has convened the All Punjab Chambers Roundtable Conference on gas closure on January 2, 2012 to develop a line of action against discrimination with Punjab.
At an emergent LCCI Executive Committee meeting it was also decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani over the discrimination with Punjab in gas supply. The Executive Committee also decided that a well tailored campaign against the pilferage of gas in Punjab would also be launched.