No power shortage in Punjab from May 1: Minister Sanjeev Arora

There will be no power shortage in Punjab from May 1 with the state government making comprehensive preparations to tackle a sharp surge in electricity demand amid the ongoing heatwave, State Power Minister Sanjeev Arora said on Monday. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is fully prepared to meet the unexpected rise in power demand during the current summer and ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply across the state, Arora further said. ''As you know in the past few days there was some shortage of power which was very unexpected. We never expected that there will be power shortage and there will be intense heatwave. This shortage took place in each state especially in the northern region,'' he said. From May 1, there will be no power shortage, he asserted while speaking about arrangements made by the state government to tackle rise in demand for electricity. Arora said the demand for power rose from 7,900 MW on April 15 to 12,000 MW by April 25. Notably, the AAP government had faced criticism from opposition parties over power outages in several parts of the state. To a question on recent raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at his premises, Arora reiterated that he would fully cooperate with the agencies and was confident that the truth would prevail. The ED on April 17 had conducted searches at premises of Arora, his son and some others in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Gurugram and Chandigarh as part of a foreign exchange violation probe linked to alleged insider trading in stock markets and round-tripping of betting funds from the UAE to India. Asked about joining the BJP, Arora said he would continue to remain in the AAP. ''I am addressing you today as a cabinet minister of Punjab. I represent the AAP and I keep on doing that,'' said Arora. Replying to a question on Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, Arora said he has not spoken to Chadha since 6 to 8 months. On Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who quit AAP were from Punjab. Meanwhile touching on power issue, Arora said PSPCL has managed to maintain grid stability at a time when several parts of the country are grappling with shortages, positioning Punjab among the better-prepared states to handle peak summer demand. Emphasising Punjab's preparedness, he added, ''Despite this sudden rise, PSPCL has successfully managed the demand and maintained grid stability through timely planning, robust infrastructure, and advance power arrangements.'' Minister Sanjeev Arora further pointed out the national scenario, saying, ''At the national level also, power demand has touched record highs, with India recording an all-time peak demand of 252 GW on April 24 while available supply stood at around 239 GW, creating a 13 GW deficit across the country. Several states are facing shortages and outages, but Punjab has remained comparatively better positioned due to proactive planning.'' Arora said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has specifically instructed the power department to ensure that the public does not face inconvenience due to any power outages, and all departments are working in mission mode to fulfill these directions. Detailing the steps taken, Arora said, ''Negotiations for 1,500 to 2,000 MW additional power through banking arrangements with other states are in advanced stages.'' He added, ''State hydel plants damaged in 2025 floods are being restored, with 300 MW additional capacity expected shortly. Additional procurement from other states and private sources is securing nearly 1,500 MW extra power.'' Punjab is preparing to draw 2,000 MW from the central government power pool, and competitive short-term tenders have been floated to procure all available surplus power, he added. He also informed about the waiver of wheeling charges and cross subsidy from 6 pm to 6 am for two months to encourage more power availability. Highlighting infrastructure strengthening, Arora said, ''Under Mission Roshan Punjab, a historic Rs 6,000 crore investment is underway to modernize and strengthen the power infrastructure across the state.''

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