CM Mann writes to Union Power Minister demanding add’l power

Chandigarh: In the wake of the power requirement of the state in the ensuing paddy season, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged the Union Power Minister RK Singh to provide additional power to the state from the central pool to meet the heavy demand of electricity.

In a letter to the Union Power Minister, Bhagwant Mann flagged the issue of power requirements of the state on account of the upcoming paddy season. The Chief Minister said that in order to provide an uninterrupted supply of power to the farmers of the state, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is continuously keeping a watch over the power availability on the PUShP portal. However, he said that it has been observed that as of now the availability of power on the portal is uncertain, for a shorter span and on a day-to-day basis only.

The Chief Minister said that as the demand for electricity cannot be reliably

met through the collective transaction segment of power exchange, the state is in definite need of firm allocation of Round The Clock (RTC) power of 1,000 MW for the period from June 15 to October 15. He said that this requirement for additional power is further necessitated due to the recent IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) prediction of low monsoon rainfall in North-Western India, including Punjab. Bhagwant Mann said that in the national interest of food security the cultivation of paddy crops must be ensured in a smooth and hassle-free manner.

Therefore, the Chief Minister impressed upon RK Singh to allocate additional firm power from Central Sector Generating Stations. He informed that Punjab is getting regular coal supply from Pachhwara (Central) Coal Mine for State Thermal Plants. However, Bhagwant Mann said that the total generation capacity within the state is limited to about 6,500 MW, whereas the peak demand is likely to touch 15,500 MW during the paddy season.