A significant protest erupted in Amritsar on Friday as a coalition of power sector employees, engineers, and farmers voiced strong opposition to the Punjab government's alleged plans to sell off land belonging to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The demonstration, held outside the PSPCL Border Zone Office, marks a unified stand against what the protestors call the wrongful monetisation of critical public assets.
Unprecedented Unity Against Land Sale
The protest was organised by a Joint Action Committee (JAC), which represents a broad spectrum of stakeholders including power employees, engineers, pensioners, and farmers' unions. In a statement released on Friday, the JAC clarified that this was the first agitation of its kind where all these groups came together for a common cause. Their primary grievance is the state government's move to sell Powercom's land and properties in various cities under an asset monetisation policy.
The committee argues that these lands hold strategic importance for Punjab's power infrastructure. Considering the rising electricity demand and numerous development projects across the state, the JAC believes these properties should be used to build new substations, field offices, and storage facilities. This, they claim, would directly enhance electricity services for the public instead of being sold for short-term financial gains.
Key Demands: Halting Sales and Boosting Generation
The protestors presented a clear set of demands. Their foremost call is for an immediate halt to the sale process of these Powercom lands. They insist that the government must instead develop and implement proper plans to utilise these assets for strengthening the power distribution network.
Beyond the land issue, the JAC also protested against the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, seeking its scrapping. Another major demand centres on power generation self-sufficiency for Punjab. The JAC leadership highlighted that the central government had already approved the establishment of two new supercritical 800 MW thermal units at the Ropar plant. This project is seen as vital to meet the state's growing power needs. However, the protestors alleged that the Punjab government has not taken any concrete steps to move this project forward in the state sector.
Implications for Punjab's Power Future
This joint protest underscores a deepening conflict over the management of Punjab's essential utilities. The involvement of farmers' unions alongside power sector workers indicates widespread concern over policies that may prioritise asset liquidation over long-term infrastructure development. The JAC's stance is that selling this land undermines future capacity for grid expansion and improvement, potentially leading to service shortfalls.
The protest in Amritsar signals growing resistance to the state's asset monetisation drive in the power sector. The committee's unified front suggests that any move to dispose of these lands will face organised opposition from within the sector and from allied agricultural communities. The ball is now in the government's court to address these concerns regarding both the land sale and the stalled Ropar thermal plant expansion.
