2 days ago
Ludhiana: Power crisis deepens as PSPCL staff extend strike
Power supply woes in Ludhiana have deepened after PSPCL employees announced an extension of their mass leave protest till August 15. With 57% of the total workforce which stood at 1,356 employees off duty, the department is in crisis mode, battling outages, severe voltage fluctuations, and delayed repairs, officials said. PSPCL's Aggar Nagar office stayed vacant amid the employees' mass leave protest in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)
Despite makeshift arrangements, prolonged blackouts continue in several localities. Residents of Harkrishan Nagar, Preet Nagar, Shimlapuri, Lohara, and Sukhdev Nagar reported being without electricity for more than three hours on Wednesday.
Sub-stations, offices wear deserted look
On the third day of the strike, many substations and divisional offices remained abandoned. Amid all, substations are the most vulnerable zones as they are devoid of technical staff. Hence, in case of any fault or glitches, it is difficult to restore the power supply.
Even when the department has redeployed non-technical and clerical staff to substations, but their lack of technical knowledge has left them unable to handle faults involving circuits, fuses, or transmission lines, officials added.
Meanwhile, the absence of clerical staff has paralysed basic office work. Bill payments, meter corrections, and new meter installations have come to a standstill, leaving residents frustrated.
In the middle of the paddy season, when rural areas desperately need a steady electricity supply for irrigation, villagers in Rasulpur, Jagraon stormed the 66 KV substation on Wednesday. They raised slogans against the state government and PSPCL management over repeated power cuts and demanded an immediate end to the strike.
Outsourced workers back agitation
In a video released on Wednesday, Balihar Singh, state president of the Powercom and Transcom Workers Union representing outsourced CHB and CHW workers has extended support to the protest. He announced that the union would join sit-ins and demonstrations on August 15, warning that if demands remain unmet, they will launch an indefinite strike from that day.
Unions threaten 'black flag' protest on I-Day
In a press statement, protesting workers announced the two-day extension of their 'mass leave' strike, taking it through Independence Day. Led by the PSEB Employees Joint Forum and allied unions, the agitation entered its third day with demonstrations across Ludhiana.
Union leaders accused the Punjab Government and Power Minister of failing to issue a promised circular for 25 demands accepted on June 2. They warned that on August 15, employees would greet officials at flag-hoisting ceremonies with black flags from nearby power offices.
Meanwhile, PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Hans admitted the extended strike would disrupt both office and field operations. 'We will face disruptions, but we will ensure that the power supply across Ludhiana keeps running with whatever staff we have,' he said.
