Punjab advances power austerity drive date

With wheat harvesting in full swing and the summer approaching, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), for the first time, has advanced its compulsory weekly power cuts for all city units by two months.

This will be implemented from April 10 onwards in all parts of the city. Before this year, units were forced to shut down power once a week during the paddy season, i.e. from June to September.

Talking to Business Standard Ajit Singh Kular of Kular Industries (also the secretary-general of the Vishwakarma Foundation) said the PSEB implemented compulsory weekly power cuts during the paddy season.

"When the PSEB knows that there will be a shortage of power supply in that season, then why don't they make arrangements in advance. In fact by imposing these power cuts, they are losing the revenue, which can be generated by giving uninterrupted power supply. This year, summers have not even taken full swing and still the department has started weekly power cuts from today onwards. Something should be done by the department as well as the government to have ample power supply so that no one suffers from it and PSEB can earn revenue round the year.''

Most industries are suffering as they are not able to meet their orders because of unscheduled power cuts. Narinder Bhamra, president of Fasteners Association is worried that if the situation of power supply is so bad in the month of April, then what will happen in peak summer months.

"Before the weekly cuts, everyday there was a power cut for a minimum of four to six hour. When we asked the PSEB for the reason for this power cut, they had no answer to it. Due to this power situation, the exporters are not able to meet their targets and are thus paying penalties. Even the reputation of companies goes down and foreign companies don't trust us anymore. If we run our industry on generators, we have to incur three times the cost.''

A PSEB official revealed that since the load on the system was high and supply was limited, the board had no choice but to impose these power cuts. "This year, fans were in use in February, and the air conditioners are being used March onwards. So even the weather conditions are not favourable."

Sunil Kapoor, managing director of a hosiery unit, Kapoor Fashions, said every day on an average the industry was suffering from a loss of 15 to 20 per cent loss in production.

"I am suffering 30 per cent loss of production daily due to unscheduled power cuts,'' he said.