Cost of production: Hattar Industrial Estate to be inaugurated today

ANP leader Ilyas Bilour says industries do not have gas supply

PESHAWAR: As the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government will inaugurate construction work on an industrial estate in Hattar on Tuesday (today), industrialists have raised the issue of a ban on the supply of gas to industries. They have criticised the K-P government for its failure to raise the issue with the federal government.

This was mentioned in a statement issued on Monday. Awami National Party Senator Ilyas Bilour was quoted as saying despite producing surplus gas, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government cannot even provide gas connections to its home industries.

“Nearly 480mmcf [million cubic feet] of gas is being produced in the province while the consumption stands at 220mmcf out of which industries utilise barely 50mmcf,” said Bilour. “The other old industrial estates are in dilapidated condition and need resources to be revived.”

He was quoted as saying the provincial government does not even know there is a ban on the provision of gas connections to the industries. He hence asked the government to take the issue up at the Council of Common Interest meeting as ban on gas connections for industries is against the interest of the province. “The construction of four new industrial zones will fail to bring development until they are provided gas.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2015.