Rawalpindi: (Parliament Times) Financial problems of over 1300 workers of Agri Tech Fertilizers in Iskandarabad continue to multiple as the unit has been non functional for past seven months due to gas suspension.
The supply was not restored even after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s announcement at a public meeting at Kalabagh on Feb 10.
The labour union held a marathon sit in front of the factory for five months and took out a rally from Iskandarabad to Mianwali but things did not change.
Almost all local politicians of various parties visited the sit in camp to gain sympathies of workers but the matter remained unresolved.
Adding to workers’ misery, the factory management says it can no longer fund projects like water treatment plant and subsequent supply of drinking water to residential colony, running of five schools and a college, a hospital with a trauma and dialysis centre, free transport service for children studying in Mianwali schools and colleges.
The factory stopped working when SNGPL suspended gas supply seven months ago and asked the management to use RNLG.
The management refused to accept the offered rates on pea that its cost would rise many fold and they would not be able to remain competitive in the market. It sought same price for RLNG as being offered to fertilizer plants in KP and other areas.
The management met the PM on March 26 and he again assured to advise the SNGPL to restore the gas.
The factory management met the SNGPL MD on April 2 who categorically refused to restore the gas supply without a written executive order of the Prime Minister.
MNA Obaidullah Shedikhel who met the PM on this issue recently said the gas supply would be restored very soon.