As the paddy season approaches, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has implemented a series of measures to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply to farmers. The corporation is redeploying technical staff and establishing round-the-clock control rooms to tackle the dual challenges of surging demand and manpower shortages.
Redeployment of Technical Staff
With temperatures rising and irrigation needs at their peak, PSPCL has reassigned technical employees who were previously engaged in clerical and non-technical duties back to field operations. Officials stated that this move aims to strengthen ground-level response, ensure quick fault resolution, and stabilize feeder lines during the high-demand period.
“Every fault must be attended to promptly and every feeder must remain stable. We cannot afford disruptions during the paddy season,” a senior officer emphasized.
24x7 Paddy Control Room in Ludhiana
Complementing the manpower shift, PSPCL has established a 24x7 paddy control room at its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) center in Ludhiana. Operational from June 1, the facility is tasked with real-time monitoring of feeder breakdowns and rapid restoration of power supply. Duty officers have been deployed to ensure quick reporting and resolution of faults, while farmers have been provided dedicated contact numbers to register complaints directly. Specialized teams are maintaining surveillance over outages, particularly in rural areas where electricity is crucial for irrigation.
Centralized Control Room in Patiala
At the Patiala headquarters, a centralized paddy control room has also been set up to collect fault and restoration reports from all divisions under the central zone. Field offices are required to submit detailed outage reports three times daily—at 6 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm—which will be reviewed by deputy chief engineers and additional superintending engineers.
Chief Engineer Jagdev Singh Hans noted that the paddy season places immense pressure on the power infrastructure due to the surge in agricultural load. “Continuous monitoring and immediate intervention are essential to keep the system stable,” he said.
Appointment of Assistant Executive Engineer
An Assistant Executive Engineer has been appointed in charge of the control room, tasked with overseeing staff deployment, attendance, shift operations, and daily transmission of reports to senior offices throughout the season.
Farmer Concerns and Assurance
Farmers remain anxious about the adequacy of resources, fearing prolonged outages could disrupt transplantation schedules. PSPCL has assured them that contingency measures are in place, with technical staff deployed round-the-clock and zonal offices directed to report lapses immediately.
Expert Caution on Infrastructure
Experts caution that while these steps may provide temporary relief, the broader issue of staffing and infrastructure remains unresolved. Dependence on outsourced manpower has grown steadily, and recruitment has not kept pace with demand.
Dedicated Contact Numbers for Fault Reporting
Dedicated mobile numbers have been issued for farmers and consumers to report faults or outages directly to shift engineers and officials. These include: 96461-22070, 96461-22158, 96461-21408, and 96461-21409. Officials said the system would help reduce delays in communication and ensure faster restoration of supply.
