Relief from power cuts for now
Umesh Dewan
Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 17
Punjab has got respite from power cuts being imposed by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) for the time being. Senior officials of the PSEB said at present the board was providing 24-hour power supply to the state. They said the board was supplying 995 lakh units against the demand of 1,020 lakh units of power, thereby giving relief to both domestic and commercial consumers.

The cuts had reached beyond four hours in the last week of January due to power shortage.

Administrative member of the PSEB Gurbachan Singh Bachi said: “There has been an increase in the power generation as repair works have been carried out at all thermal and hydel units across the state. Now, only one unit in Bathinda is undergoing the overhauling.”

He said the board was getting 561 lakh units from thermal plants and 288 lakh units from the Centre.

“Hydel generation figures stand at 43 lakh units, whereas power generation from Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) sources is 72 lakh units. Power availability from other projects is about 13 lakh units,” he added.

Bachi said the PSEB was banking 32 lakh units of power. “In winters, the power generation from hydel projects in hilly areas like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand goes down. The PSEB provides power to these states and gets back during summers,” he said, adding that this year the PSEB would try its best to meet the demand in the state.