Punjab bans business after 9pm

[sparklingway]

Punjab bans business after 9pm​

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

By our correspondent

Lahore: In a bid to conserve electricity, the Punjab government has decided to close down all commercial centres, markets and marriage halls after 9pm in the province from today (Wednesday).

Officials said the federal government had directed the Punjab government to take the step, which the Punjab government had followed. Chairing a meeting of traders, the Lahore Division commissioner said the Punjab government had received directions from Islamabad for controlling the ongoing electricity crisis which were implemented immediately.

He said according to the recommendations, all commercial centres and markets would receive uninterrupted power supply from 5pm to 9pm while no shopkeeper would be allowed to continue his business by using generators or UPS.

The commissioner said more electricity would be supplied to hospitals, tube-wells and wheat crushers (Atta Chakkis) in the division. He said no neon sign (private or public) would be illuminated after the sunset, adding billboards or neon signs installed at all the petrol and CNG stations were also included in the ban. The ban would be implemented across the province and no exemption would be given to any commercial enterprise, he maintained.

The commissioner said the provincial metropolis would be divided into seven zones and commercial and business activities would remain suspended on each day in every zone in rotation and the process was called staggering holidays. He said there would be a complete ban on the use of air conditioners in public offices before 11:00 am while one out of every three lights installed in the public offices would be used which would save 33 per cent of their total electricity consumption.

The commissioner announced that no marriage hall would be allowed to hold marriage ceremony after 9pm while half of the lights installed in every public park would be switched off. He made it clear that those who had already booked marriage halls for ceremonies at night could hold their functions after showing the proof of booking during the next 10 days.

Meanwhile, different trader representatives expressed reservations over the measures taken by the Punjab government. The chairman Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Lahore, and President Urdu Bazaar Traders Khalid Pervez said that traders would only support the decision if the shops and commercial plazas in all the posh localities such as Model Town, Cantt, Gulberg and Defence would be closed by the sunset and the government would ensure the implementation of the decision in the posh localities as well. He said it was very difficult for traders to close their shops before 8:00 pm. He said the traders community was already facing crisis due to power shortage and economic slump in the country.

PML-N Traders Wing President Babar Mahmood and Mall Road Traders Wing President Naeem Mir said the delegation of the PML-N Traders Wing would meet Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday (today) to discuss the problems of traders, including imposition of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and closure of shops after the sunset.

Regarding the decision of the closure of shops, he said if people would accept the ban, traders would also accept it. President Qaumi Tajir Ittehad, Punjab, Khwaja Azhar Gulshan said the business community would not support the decision of closure of shops with sunset. However, he said they would support the nine-point agenda given by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to save the electricity. He said if the government tried to close the shops forcibly they would resist it.

 

[sparklingway]

Traders will abide only if consumers wish to do so as well. I should be hopeful, but reality states that our masses will continue to complain but won't conserve. It would be beneficial if everybody completes their shopping activities before 9pm.

 

[Creder]

^ this is Pakistan dude, people wake up at 9PM here

 

[graphican]

Now this rule must be enforced with the maximum strength. No one is out of law or exception to law. If businesses are closed at 9, that means we will save at least 3 hours of maximum electricity consumption hours every day.

 

[Nahraf]

It is a short term solution for a long term problem and it won't work. Pakistan needs 4,000 MW electricity now and additional 400MW increase per year after that. You are stunting the growth of Pakistan's economy and forcing people into different lifestyle. Pakistan was planning to import 1,000MW from Tajikistan few years back and Iran just offered 1,000MW. How about solar power ? Pakistan should develop solar power industry that manufactures cheap solar power panels which can provide electricity to even small isolated villages. Pakistan needs civil nuclear deal and more nuclear power stations.

 

[VrSoLdIeRs]

it can work for a short time, but we need something more 'realistic'... plz give iran the green signal... but i am afraid gillani and company will impose more such restrictions to lower the demand rather then taking some steps to increase the 'input' ..... All out politicians can do is hire people like jamshed dasti!!!!!