At the interactive Meet held here in connection with 'Vibrant Gujarat 2015', the Association petitioned visiting chief minister Anandi Patel and industries minister Saurabh Patel seeking their intervention in connection with the 58 per cent cut in the supply of Administered Price Mechanism (APM) Gas.
These small industries in South Gujarat, which were forced to shut few lines in their plants following GAIL cutting supplies of administered price or APM gas, have accused the state-owned firm of arbitrariness and selective targeting as supplies to similar units in other states have not been touched. On the other hand, GAIL India has said it slashed gas supplies on oil ministry orders.
"The Gujarat leaders gave us a patient hearing. Gujarat has a proactive government which responds to business problems. We are hopeful that a solution would be found quickly so that our production, exports and employment are not affected," Piramal Enterprises Vice Chairperson Dr Swati Piramal, who is leading the group, told PTI.
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"The South Gujarat Industries consume only 0.5 MMSCMD of gas as against a total allocation of 60 MMSCMD of APM Gas. If applied equitably across all consumers of APM gas, then the cut would be just 0.5 per cent across the consumers.
"Keeping aside the gas for the priority sector, an equitable cut across the balance consumers would be 4 per cent to 5 per cent, she said.
"These energy intensive industries cannot afford to replace the APM gas with the commercial gas as it is priced four times higher. This would make the units unviable and go against the 'Make in India' programme of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi," Piramal said.