Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan - Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov commented on power outages.

“Our task is to supply gas to homes, as well as to produce electricity at thermal power plants using natural gas,” Mirzamakhmudov said, Uznews reported.

According to him, the current weather conditions require planned restrictions to prevent more serious losses.

“It is true that [gas] does not reach everyone, there are many cuts. We admit it, no one denies it. If we do not get out [of the situation] with planned restrictions in such weather conditions, there may be more serious losses tomorrow. That is why we are forced to take such drastic measures,” the minister said.

Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov also responded to the collective appeal of the workers of the Shorsuv Cement cement plant in Ferghana region. In the petition, the workers stated that they were left without work and without income due to the shutdown of gas at the plant.

“Regarding the situation in Ferghana, we once again emphasize that all facilities that can operate on other alternative fuels will be disconnected from the network during this time of bad weather. It’s a bit exaggerated here that there are 10,000 [unemployed]. Not 10,000, but a little more than a hundred workers worked at this cement production plant,” the minister said.

According to him, the plant arbitrarily connected to the network.

“Everyone knows that there is a corresponding resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers: brick and cement plants must operate on coal, that is, on alternative fuel. Now we will separately study who connected this plant [in Ferghana] to natural gas and who gave permission. But the management of the enterprise was warned in time under the terms of the contract. It was supposed to clarify the situation to the workers,” Mirzamakhmudov said.