Ludhiana industrialists slam Punjab govt over erratic power supply in designated industrial areas

An industrialist suggests the units may move out of Punjab, citing Madhya Pradesh's claim of having received investment proposals worth over Rs 15,000 crore from Ludhiana-based businesses.

Written by Raakhi Jagga

Ludhiana | July 14, 2025 15:58 IST

On Saturday, a major fault occurred in the 220 KVA feeder at Giaspura, causing a shutdown of over five hours across several areas. (File Photo)

With erratic power supply in Ludhiana’s designated industrial areas leading to significant production losses and growing frustration among industrialists, questions are being raised about the Punjab government’s claim of the state having surplus power, and industry leaders are even talking about shifting operations out of the state.

Gurmeet Singh Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (FICO), said, “My bicycle parts unit is located in Industrial Focal Point, Phase 8, Ludhiana. On Monday, we faced a power cut at 10.30 am and there has been no supply since then. There are 1,145 industrial units in this phase alone and more than 8,000 units spread across the eight phases of the Industrial Focal Point. This is a designated industrial area. We pay around Rs 10 per unit after all taxes. And what kind of power supply are we getting in return? We cannot afford this kind of erratic power supply—it causes us heavy losses.”

There are other designated industrial areas as well with thousands of units.

Kular added, “On Wednesday, several industrial associations will meet the Punjab chief minister and the newly inducted Industry Minister Sanjeev Arora in Chandigarh. Our main concern is the unreliable power supply in these designated areas. If there is no power, how are we expected to function? It’s a simple question.”

He further stated, “Now that the industry minister is our own Sanjeev Arora ji, who recently won the Ludhiana bypoll, we have all the more right to raise this issue strongly.”

Upkar Singh, president of the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), said, “In May, due to a heavy storm, many industrial units in the Focal Point were without power for five consecutive days. We have demanded compensation for that period from Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL), and we also want an explanation for these frequent, unannounced power cuts.”

‘PSPCL staff storage affecting maintenance’

Pankaj Sharma, president of the Association of Trade and Industrial Undertakings (ATIU), pointed to a deeper problem. “We’ve learned that PSPCL is short of field staff and has not conducted regular maintenance in industrial zones. This is a key reason behind the erratic power supply. We’ve suggested that they hire temporary staff specifically for the paddy season, who can carry out maintenance and respond quickly to faults. Even minor rain or strong winds lead to power outages.”

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On Saturday, a major fault occurred in the 220 KVA feeder at Giaspura, causing a shutdown of over five hours across several areas. On Sunday, many feeders also experienced scheduled shutdowns. And industrial units resumed work on Monday, only to face continued supply issues, according to industrialists.

Apart from the eight phases of the Focal Point, other industrial hubs such as Dhandari Kalan, Industrial Estate, and Giaspura are also facing similar issues despite having dedicated industrial feeders.

Sharma added, “On Wednesday, PSPCL officials are visiting the Auto Parts Centre in Focal Point, where few of the industrial associations’ representatives will directly question them.”

Not all industrial units can afford to operate on generators. Furnaces, steel rolling mills, and other continuous supply-based operations cannot function on backup power. Those that do use generators spend over Rs 14 per unit, said Sharma.

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“Ludhiana is the industrial capital of Punjab and generates the maximum revenue for the state. It’s difficult to understand why designated industrial areas are facing such basic supply issues,” said Kular. “When we ask if the paddy season is the reason behind these outages, we get no clear answer. Regardless of the reason, uninterrupted power supply is a fundamental requirement. If this continues, the Punjab government shouldn’t be surprised when other states like Madhya Pradesh claim they’ve received industrial investment proposals worth over Rs 15,000 crore from Ludhiana-based businesses alone.”

Meanwhile, PSPCL sources indicated that faults in the grid or scheduled maintenance shutdowns are the reasons for gaps in power supply. They didn’t indicate any other reason for the erratic power supply.

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