PATIALA: PSEB engineers Association has welcomed the setting up of three 800 MW thermal units in the state. The setting up of the two units at Ropar thermal site is a right step as it has all the necessary infrastructure.
The Association has been demanding for a long time that all future power plants within the State should be executed under the State Sector only, otherwise scandals will keep on occurring, increasing the cost of power for the common man.
The power demand in Punjab has been increasing every year and this surge is being attributed to changing weather patterns , accelerating economic activity. The power demand is likely to increase by about 4000 MW in coming years at an estimated rate of 7 % every year. The addition of 2400 MW within the state will help get more power from the grid.
The power deficit in the Punjab is due to inadequate capacity addition and this needs to be set right by adequate capacity addition by way of three super critical thermal units and solar power. Last year during the paddy season, the unrestricted demand touched 16900 MW and Punjab faced a shortage of around 900 MW. The power demand in Punjab is set to cross 20000 MW within the next four to five years , said V K Gupta, a retired PSPCL engineer.
As the public continues to demand accountability, the Bhagwant Mann-led government finds itself at a crossroads—either act decisively and impartially or risk losing public trust over what has now become a defining case in Punjab’s current political climate.