Ludhiana: 47% surge in outage plaints as PSPCL stir enters Day 2

Hindustan Times

15 hours ago

Power supply in Ludhiana was severely disrupted on Tuesday as a mass leave protest by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) employees entered its second day, with 1,345 workers on casual leave. Workers during a protest at PSPCL's CMC division in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (HT photo)
The disruption intensified after heavy rain triggered prolonged outages, severe voltage fluctuations, feeder trippings and breakdowns across the city. In response, the corporation directed executive engineers (XENs) and sub-divisional officers (SDOs) to take on critical operational duties, such as substation management, complaint resolution, fault repairs and other official duties, highlighting the strain on the system.
On the second day of the protest, the PSPCL saw a sharp 47% rise in electricity-related complaints across Ludhiana, soaring from 14,563 on Monday to 21,433 on Tuesday.
Among the divisions, Aggar Nagar recorded the highest number of complaints with 3,370, followed closely by City West (3,226), Model Town (2,795) and Focal Point (2,673)
According to residents in several areas, they were left high and dry amid the protest. The essential services, like power supply, should be taken care of by authorities concerned, many of them said.
Major fault in Estate division
A major fault in the 66 KV transmission lines plunged large parts of the Estate division into darkness for over 14 hours. Affected areas included Amarpuri, Daba Pind, Maan Nagar, Sua Road, Shanti Nagar, GT Road, Gurpal Nagar, and Kabir Nagar, where residents endured stifling humidity without relief.
Offices deserted, services stalled
Many divisional offices wore a deserted look as clerical and non-technical staff were redeployed to field operations. Residents were unable to pay bills, request corrections, or apply for new connections.
Among the worst affected areas were the Sunder Nagar division, where 89% of staff was on strike, and the Focal Point division, with 81% participating in the protest.
Union demands and deadlock
The protest, called by 16 electricity workers' unions including the PSEB Employees Joint Forum and Bijli Mulazam Ekta Manch, stems from 'unmet' commitments. In a press statement, union leaders Ratan Singh Majari and Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind said they had submitted their demands to the PSPCL management on April 11. 'Although agreements were reached on June 2 in the presence of the power minister, the commitments remain unfulfilled, leading to the ongoing strike,' they said.
The workers' demands include regular hiring to fill thousands of vacancies, equal pay for equal work, special status for contract meter readers, bill distributors and cashiers since 1997, permanent absorption of temporary agency workers, removal of a harsh 12% interest clause on some employees and payment of overdue allowances along with revised pensions and salaries.
Management response
PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Hans admitted that Tuesday's rain compounded the crisis. 'We have managed with the available manpower,' he said.