The ongoing power crisis in Punjab has become a significant political issue. The opposition is intensifying its criticism of the Bhagwant Mann government over ongoing power cuts. In response, the government asserts that the state has now overcome the crisis and guarantees consumers that no further power cuts will occur in the near future.
The Punjab Congress has announced a major protest outside the PSPCL headquarters in Patiala on Monday.
The Punjab Congress has announced a major protest outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) headquarters in Patiala on Monday, led by PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. The opposition’s escalation comes after days of complaints over power curtailments across Punjab. With the paddy season underway and farmers already protesting over electricity and fertiliser availability, power shortage has added another pressure point for the Mann government. The government, however, has now sought to draw a line under the crisis. He also assured that there would be no power cuts in the coming days. Dhaliwal attributed the crisis to a combination of technical problems at thermal power plants and what he alleged was a reduction in Punjab’s share from the central pool. With the government insisting that the crisis has been resolved and the Congress preparing to hit the streets over the cuts, power has emerged as a fresh political battlefield in Punjab, with the opposition questioning the government’s handling of the shortage and the AAP leadership shifting the blame towards technical failures and the Centre.
The party slams the reported 10 to 12-hour-long power cuts, putting the government on the defensive over the impact of the shortage on households, farmers, and industry. AAP leader and former cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal claimed Punjab had come out of the power crisis, saying uninterrupted supply had been available since 6 am.
He said one unit each at Talwandi Sabo and Nabha had remained out of operation for three to four days, while a technical problem at Goindwal Sahib had also affected generation. The affected units have now been restored, according to him.
