Appearing from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad & Quetta

Thursay, November 5, 2009, Zhul-Q'ada 16, 1430

Effective Nov 15 to March 15
Gas cut roster approved
CNG body rejects two offs

Sharafat Kazmi

Islamabad—The federal cabinet has approved several measures to manage the shortage of gas, improve sugar supply, and ensure purchase of paddy from the farmers.

The Cabinet meeting was held here Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and specially attended by all the chief ministers.

It was decided to stop gas supply to the industrial sector for two days a week to overcome the shortage. Gas supply will remain suspended to Lahore one on day one and two of the week, Lahore two on day three and four, Faisalabad on day five and six, and Multan, Gujranwala, Islamabad, Peshawar and Abbottabad for the next two days. The industry will use alternative fuel on these two days.

Similarly, gas supply to CNG stations will also remain suspended for two days a week. Schedule for gas supply for Urea producing factories will be chalked out for one month. Gas will be supplied to these factories as raw material without any interruption while for there will be cut on gas fuel.

Briefing media person after the meeting, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira said no new industrial gas connection will be given between December 2009 and December 2010. Gas supply will not be approved for new villages and cities for the time being but Baluchistan province, and districts producing gas will be exempted.

He said decision has been taken to import LNG to include it into the system. However, a period of eighteen months is required for this. Besides, the import of LPG is also being increased to ensure uninterrupted supply to consumers.

The Information Minister said Cabinet also approved Sugar policy for the year 2009-10. The production of sugar for the next year is likely to be three million tons as against the demand of four point two million tons. It was decided to import 500,000 raw and 500,000 refined sugar. Besides, the provincial government were asked to looked into production of sugar from other crops along side sugarcane. He said permission has been given to produce Gur but it cannot be exported. He informed that a committee headed by the Finance Minister is working to resolve the issue of sugar supply on fixed price.

The meeting directed the State Bank to formulate a policy to resolve the issue of delayed payment to sugarcane-growers. It was decided that the chit given by the mills owner to the growers should be used as negotiable instruments and grower will be able to get cash from Banks against these chits.

The Information Minister said the sugar mills have the capacity to generate 1000 to 2000 megawatt of electricity and the owners have been asked to continue the generation of electricity round the year by using coal after consumption of their own fuel, Begas.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said PASCO has been directed to purchase one million tons of paddy from the farmers. He said the Cabinet decided that IRRI-6 will be purchased at 600 rupees per forty kilogram, rice variety-385 at 1000 rupees per forty kilograms, and Basmati at 1250 rupees per forty kilogram.

He said the Finance Minister was directed to look into the problems of the rice exporters.

He said that decision about the austerity drive committee report will be reviewed at the next cabinet meeting.

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