Owners of textile industries get stay order on new power bills

LAHORE: The owners of textile export industries have managed to get the court’s stay order on new power bills being prepared under new tariff after the cancellation of concessions on electricity rates.

Earlier, it emerged that the distribution companies had received the notification of the Power Division which stated ending of exemption to the textile industries from the levy of electricity bills. According to the notification, the textile mills will pay Rs20 instead of Rs12 per unit in term of electricity charges.

However, Lahore Electric Supply Company Limited (LESCO) is reluctant to accept the court’s stay order and started preparing electricity bills of the textile industries under new tariff, sources said.

The electric supply company hinted to disconnect the power connections of the textile industries over non-payment of bills and urged the owners for timely clearance of charges. LESCO sources said the stay order could not be applied over the new power bills.

Yesterday, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) had decided to summon an emergency meeting in Lahore next week to discuss ‘options including the closure of textile mills’ as the federal government ends concessions on electricity bills.

The owners claimed that it is impossible to run textile mills without receiving subsidy on power bills which had been promised by the federal government in the month of January last year.