Mohali, April 23: The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has issued a new directive to limit scheduled power outages to a maximum of four hours per day. This decision marks a significant reduction from the previous six-to-eight-hour maintenance cuts that had sparked widespread public protests across the state’s major urban centers.
Director (Generation) of PSPCL stated that the management intervened following a sudden rise in temperatures and a surge in public complaints. According to the official order, any ongoing or future maintenance and construction work must now be completed within the new four-hour window to provide relief to consumers during the prevailing heatwave. The directive further specifies that an officer of Assistant Engineer (AE) rank must supervise all work during these shutdowns to ensure efficiency.
To prevent delays, the utility has mandated that all necessary equipment must be transported to work sites a day in advance. Senior Executive Engineer (XEN) level officers have been instructed to conduct surprise inspections to monitor both the pace and quality of the work. Officials maintained that these protocols are intended to minimize the duration of supply disruptions while maintaining the grid’s health.
The revised schedule applies immediately, even to maintenance plans previously announced for cities such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, and Patiala. Authorities declared that every power cut must be recorded on the distribution portal for transparency. This policy shift follows intense criticism from opposition parties and residents who questioned the timing of long-duration outages during the summer months.
