Chandigarh/Ludhiana, Sept 13 — Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora announced the rollout of a large-scale project to reform electricity infrastructure across the state, calling it a direct response to public demand raised during election meetings.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), will focus on 13 major Municipal Corporations and 87 subdivisions.
The Municipal Corporations included in the programme are Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Phagwara, Mohali, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Abohar, Batala and Kapurthala.
The project will begin with a pilot in Ludhiana’s City West Subdivision, covering 25 feeders. PSPCL will supply all required materials, while labour worth nearly ₹1.2 crore will be outsourced to fast-track the work. The pilot, expected to finish within two months, will cover large stretches of Ludhiana West and North, including Aarti Chowk, PAU Road, Ferozepur Road, Ghumar Mandi, Kochar Market, Mall Road, Rajpura Pind, Rose Garden, Vishwamitter Street, Damoria Bridge, Guru Nanak Pura, Vivek Nagar, Upkar Nagar, Bindraban Road and several other localities.
Based on the experience of the pilot, the state government plans to expand the effort to all 87 subdivisions in the next phase. The target date for completion across Punjab is June 2026.
Arora said the goal is to improve safety, reduce outages and enhance the visual appeal of city landscapes.The minister explained that the programme includes removal of dish cables, internet fibre and other non-electric wires from PSPCL poles; raising of low-hanging electric lines to safer heights; replacement of multiple cable joints with continuous wiring to reduce fire hazards and fluctuations; and sealing of open meter boxes to prevent tampering and damage.
Officials noted that these measures would not only cut accident risks and outages but also give cities “cleaner and safer streetscapes.”
“People have consistently asked for a comprehensive upgrade of power lines, and PSPCL has now taken this step to ensure both safety and reliability,” Arora said at a press conference in Ludhiana, where senior officials including Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain and Chief Engineer Jagdev Singh Hans were present.
According to PSPCL engineers, the makeover will immediately reduce accidents caused by low-hanging wires and entanglement with non-electric cables. It will also speed up fault detection, minimize voltage fluctuations, reduce the risk of fire, and protect meters from tampering.
“Farmers, households and businesses will all benefit from more reliable supply. At the same time, urban areas will see a much-needed improvement in aesthetics,” Arora noted.
