The APTMA spokesman said that the EMC had withdrawn the exemption from load shedding to the textile industry in Punjab since May 2012. It may be noted that the textile industry had been exempted from load shedding even during the load shortage of 5000MW in the past.
He said this situation had resulted in the promotion of corrupt activities at the end of DISCOs. He said that the APTMA leadership called on the Minister for Water and Power last week to apprise him of the crisis in the industry due to power shortage. However, he deplored the fact that the Energy Management Cell (EMC) was presenting unworkable solutions, further detrimental to the industry without realising that the closure of the textile industry would hurt the industry. An important segment of the textile value chain on account of its backward and forward linkages.
According to him, the EMC has increased load shedding duration to about seven hours from the earlier six hours a day by proposing a reduction of the load by the industry to 40per cent and 25per cent during peak and off-peak hours respectively.
He said that the spinning and weaving mills running on independent feeders are designed on uninterrupted power supply for 24/7 and 365 days, which is not possible by reducing the load either 40per cent or 25per cent in any case, he added. Already, he said, some 30per cent capacity is closed due to energy shortage. It is an energy-dependent industry and energy constitutes 35per cent of its conversion cost, he stressed. The APTMA spokesman further lamented that only the Punjab-based textile industry was exposed to severe load shedding; as no such load management was meant for textile mills in other parts of the country.