Gurkirat Kirpal Singh given charge of the power departmentGovernment says there will be no power cuts from Tuesday

Chandigarh, 14 September (H.S.): Amid prolonged and unscheduled power cuts in Punjab, the state government has transferred Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) Administrative Secretary and CMD Dr Basant Garg. Senior officer Gurkirat Kirpal Singh has been given charge in his place.

The departments earlier held by Gurkirat Kirpal Singh in the Industries Department have now been assigned to Dr. Garg. The administrative reshuffle comes at a time when farmers and industrialists across Punjab have been protesting against erratic electricity supply.

Punjab’s power demand has reportedly increased by around 3,500 MW compared to last year and has touched nearly 16,000 MW. At the same time, irregular coal supplies have restricted generation from thermal power plants to around 6,000 MW, putting additional pressure on the state’s electricity system.

Farmers have been holding protests at several places over inadequate power supply, while industrialists have claimed that prolonged cuts have badly affected production. Industrial groups in Ludhiana had also threatened to block the Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway if the situation did not improve.

The Punjab Government has maintained that the cuts became necessary because of inadequate coal supplies to thermal power plants. It has cited lower coal availability from the Centre as one of the main reasons behind the crisis.

Meanwhile, Industries Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh announced in Ludhiana that there would be no power cuts in the state from Tuesday. He said all government and private thermal plants were now operational.

The minister also assured that farmers would receive 10 hours of electricity supply daily and industries would not face scheduled power cuts.

With the new responsibility, Gurkirat Kirpal Singh will now face the challenge of stabilising power supply, managing rising demand and ensuring adequate electricity for agriculture, industry and domestic consumers.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH