Chandigarh Mayor voices concern over power crisis, writes to UT Administrator, blames privatisation

In her communication to the administrator, the mayor has urged for immediate directives to the departments concerned to ensure uninterrupted power supply across Chandigarh.

By: Express News Service

Chandigarh | August 7, 2025 21:20 IST

In her communication to the administrator, the mayor has urged for immediate directives to the departments concerned to ensure uninterrupted power supply across Chandigarh. (File photo)

Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla has expressed serious concern over the ongoing power crisis in Chandigarh, calling upon the Administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, to urgently intervene.

The mayor in a letter written to the UT Administrator said that the city has been grappling with frequent electricity cuts and voltage fluctuations for the past two months, severely affecting the daily lives of residents.

Highlighting the widespread impact of the situation, the mayor noted that every section of society is suffering — ranging from households and business establishments to hospitals, students, and senior citizens. “The condition has worsened since the privatisation of the electricity department,” she remarked, adding that the complaint redressal system has become inefficient, with helpline numbers often going unanswered or proving unhelpful.

The mayor’s appeal comes in the wake of mounting pressure from various Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs), Market Associations, FOSWAC representatives, Beopar Mandals, and NGOs, who have approached her seeking urgent action. According to her, the public has lost confidence in the current system and is demanding immediate improvement in electricity services.

“In the earlier government-managed set-up, power supply was better maintained, outages were fixed quickly, and people had access to a responsive complaint mechanism. Now, despite paying higher tariffs, citizens are receiving poor service,” Mayor Babla said. She emphasised that the current system is failing to meet basic expectations and has become a source of daily frustration.

In her communication to the administrator, the mayor has urged for immediate directives to the departments concerned to ensure uninterrupted power supply across Chandigarh. She has also called for an overhaul of the complaint redressal system to make it quick and effective, along with a comprehensive performance review of the private electricity service provider.

Additionally, Mayor Babla suggested that the terms and conditions of the privatisation deal be re-evaluated, if necessary, to safeguard the interests of the citizens. She stressed the need for accountability and transparency in service delivery.

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“This issue demands urgent and compassionate attention,” she concluded, expressing hope that the Administrator will take swift action to resolve the crisis and restore public confidence in the city’s power infrastructure.

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