Township industrial estate suffers production loss

Prolonged load-shedding in Lahore Township Industrial Area has sharply curtailed production in as many as 350 industrial units of Lahore Township Industrial Estate besides putting at stake the jobs of millions of daily wagers and an investment of billion rupees. In a statement issued here Friday, the Chairman Lahore Township Industrial Association Iftikhar Bashir Chaudhry, Senior Vice Chairman Ahmad Haleem Khan and Vice Chairman Fareed Ali Baber said that the industrialists are in deep troubles but the LESCO officials are least concerned and paying no heed to the genuine demand of the area businessmen.
They said that the LESCO authorities had resorted to repeated power fluctuations in a clear violation of agreement with the industrialists of the area thus pushing the entire industry to the wall.
They said that if immediate measures were not taken to ensure continuous supply of electricity to the industrial units, nothing could stop the industrial wheel from coming to a grinding halt and resultant massive lay-offs.
They said that industry was already passing through a very difficult times and the none-supply of power and gas was adding fuel to fire. Iftikhar Bashir said that it was very unfortunate that despite passage of four years, the present regime has failed to take corrective measures. They said that the reports of State Bank of Pakistan and Transparency International had already revealed the government performance. The LTIA Chairman said that it would be wiser on the part of the government if it takes immediate measures to help industry get rid of prolonged loadshedding as the economic situation was fast getting out of hand.
The LTIA office-bearers appealed to the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani to direct the PEPCO authorities to ensure continuous supply of
electricity to the industry for the sake of economy and the country that is facing multiple external challenges as well.