CHANDIGARH, APRIL 27 — Residents of Punjab can expect a consistent electricity supply beginning next month as the state government prepares to withdraw all power cuts effective May 1. Power Minister Sanjeev Arora revealed that the current spell of outages, which impacted major cities like Ludhiana and Jalandhar, was primarily driven by a 12% jump in demand caused by soaring temperatures.
During a briefing in Chandigarh, the minister affirmed that the state’s power infrastructure had been under temporary strain as demand touched 12,114 MW on April 25. He stated that the high demand is a nationwide phenomenon but maintained that Punjab is uniquely prepared to meet the challenge following a ₹6,000 crore investment in Mission Roshan Punjab.
Minister Arora declared that the industrial sector would play a key role in maintaining grid stability. He stated that from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., industrial consumers have the option to buy power from the open exchange. The minister affirmed that this measure is intended to incentivize night shifts, noting that “no additional charge will be levied by the government” for using the open market during these hours.
“No power cut will be allowed in the state after May 1,” Arora maintained, asserting that the departmental upgrades are nearing completion. He stated that while the intense heat in April created an early peak, the current coal reserves and external power banking arrangements are sufficient to sustain the state through the rest of the summer without further interruptions for domestic consumers.
