Business banned after 9pm

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

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 across 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. While chairing a meeting of traders, the Lahore Division commissioner revealed that the Punjab government had received directions from Islamabad for controlling the ongoing electricity crisis which were implemented immediately. He said that 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 further said that the supply of electricity would be more to hospitals, tube-wells and wheat crushers (Atta Chakkis) in the division. He said that no neon sign (private or public) would be illuminated after the sunset, adding that 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 revealed that 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 use of air conditioners in public offices before 11am while one out of every three lights installed in the public offices would be used which would save 33 percent of their total electricity consumption.

The commissioner further 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 also said it was very difficult for traders to close their shops before 8clock.

He said trader’s 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 with the sunset, he said that if people would accept the ban, traders would also accept it.