Weekly power cuts back for industry
Umesh Dewan
Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 26
Weekly power offs are back for the state industry. A circular in this connection was issued by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) today and the order would be implemented with immediate effect.

According to the circular, a copy of which is with The Tribune, one weekly off day (24 hours) would be imposed on the general industrial consumers being fed from the Category-II feeders. Apart from this, two weekly off days (48 hours) would be imposed on the Arc/Induction furnaces and rolling mill consumers, fed from the Category-II and Category-III feeders. The power regulatory measures would remain in force till further orders.

The PSPCL move comes within days of the coal-based Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant, located at Singrauli in Uttar Pradesh, developing a technical snag. Following this, the share of power being drawn by Punjab from the Central pool has dropped by about 40 lakh units. Apart from this, the power being drawn by the state industry through the open access system has also come down by almost 100 lakh units in just one day.

And to top all these problems, a decline has been witnessed in hydel power generation in the past few days, following which the PSPCL today imposed fresh power regulatory measures on the industrial units in the state.

As per the figures available with The Tribune, the power demand recorded in Punjab yesterday stood at 1,630 lakh units against the availability of 1,534 lakh units --- a shortfall of about 96 lakh units. “Due to some problem in the Singrauli thermal plant, the power availability to Punjab from the Central pool has been reduced by 40 lakh units. The power drawn by the Punjab industry through the open access system on September 25 was 37 lakh units whereas, on an average, the industry was earlier drawing about 135 lakh units daily. A decline in hydel power generation has also been recorded,” said PSPCL director (distribution) Arun Verma.

Senior PSPCL functionaries said one unit (210-MW capacity) of the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant in Ropar, which had been shut down, would be made operational from today with the aim to supplement the power supply.

Factory losses

President of the Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association Badish K Jindal said the two weekly off days (48 hours) would result in significant losses to the units.

The estimated per month net production from arc/induction furnaces and rolling mills in Punjab stands at Rs 5,000 crore. “After the two-day weekly off, the production loss will be at least Rs 1,500 crore. This would mean a loss of about 5 per cent of VAT (Rs 75 crore) to the state government and 10.25 per cent loss to the central excise,” he said.

Also, because of the weekly offs, the prices of steel would go up. “The export commitments made to multinational companies will be hard to meet because of the power regulatory measures”, said several industrialists

Nod to extending MoU for Mansa thermal plant

The PSPCL Board of Directors has given the nod for extending the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a 1320 MW coal-based power plant at Gobindpura (Mansa) by Indiabulls Power Limited. The one-year deadline for the MoU had expired on August 19. The matter came up for discussion during a board meeting recently. Director (Generation) GS Chhabra said the case had been sent to the government for approval.

Short Supply

One weekly off (24 hours) to be imposed on general industrial consumers

Two weekly off days (48 hours) to be imposed on the arc/induction furnaces and rolling mill consumers

The move follows shortfall in power supply from the central pool as well as hydel generation projects