No gas for Lahore industries

[yazdi]

Re: No gas for Lahore industries

@Sa1eem

According to Pakistani constitution (18[SUP]th[/SUP] amendment) natural resources of each province is theirs and thus first priority of its usage is theirs too. It is up to individual provinces to export their resources to other provinces what they should do after fulfilling their own requirements. Anyhow, such is not happening, because even when Sindh is producing most of Pakistani oil and gas, we find considerable shortages of these two commodities in Sindh while oil and gas from Sindh is getting exported to Punjab. Same is true about Baluchistan.

Bhai Saab..

We need to have a national approach if we want to go anywhere as a viable country. The right interpretation of the 18th constitutional amendment is needed in this scenario. It’s not some sort of war between Sind/Punjab.. Punjab has 60% population with young generation coming in the job market every year, You can not have a situation that the industrial growth of 60% of the country comes to a complete halt because we are not able to put a rational energy policy. The 18th constitutional amendment gives priority to the provinces on natural resources not produce. Natural resource of Sind is gas for which Sind should get a fair price. That would be the fair interpretation of the amendment.. Electricity produced through captive plants through subsidized gas is not a natural resource.. and hardly gives any benefit to poor masses of Sind.

1. Read the post of Sachaydinho. What’s the use of Sind gas for poor masses of Sind. Why we have to put a loot sale of Sind gas for the big industrialist of the country both in Punjab and Sind. Wouldn’t it be more logical if wellhead prices for gas are increased and Sind government can have more revenue from their gas which can be spent on poor masses of specially rural Sind. Why we have to give this gas to big industrialist of Karachi to produce electricity from their captive power plants at Rs. 4.5/unit through this loot sale of Sind gas.

2. The biggest criminal in all this affair was our illegal president Musharraf who allowed captive power plants. Presently 27% of the gas is being used by industry. 90% of this 27% is being used in captive power plants all over the country. Why Musharraf allowed these gas operated captive power plants to be installed by the industry and why he allowed cheap gas for large scale industry through captive power plants.

3. If we divert some of the gas from fertilizer and captive plants to IPPs producing electricity for national grid.. it will ensure end of load shedding for whole of the country not only Sind/Punjab. Let’s give electricity to everyone in the country for Rs 12 per unit. Ensure fair returns to Sind for their natural resource gas so Sind can uplift poor masses in rural Sind. It’s a win win situation for everyone. It will restart industrialization in Punjab (60% of Pakistan)…

4. Even in Karachi small/medium scale industry is suffering due to load shedding. They do not have captive power plants and their energy cost is 18/20 Rupees per unit when they use stand by diesel generators for 8 hours. A stable supply from KESC without load shedding will benefit this huge employment generation segment.

Bottom line is the gas must to be diverted to IPPs, load shedding all over the country should stop… Diesel prices should be brought down.. wellhead prices for the producers of gas should be increased.. Fertilizer/captive plant subsidies should be brought down significantly.. With these measures people trying to set up new industries will be encouraged. Every region of the country will uplift with these measures.. not only sind or Punjab..