Patiala: Punjab’s strained power situation showed early signs of easing on Thursday after a second unit at the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant in Lehra Mohabbat, Bathinda, resumed generation and a section of striking contractual workers returned to duty following assurances from the state govt.The respite came as Punjab’s electricity demand touched a seasonal high of 16,212 MW at 3.15 pm on Thursday, driven by an intense heatwave and peak paddy transplantation activity across the state.Power utility officials said the second unit of the 920-MW thermal station resumed operations late on Wednesday, taking the number of functional units to two out of four. Efforts are underway to restore the remaining two units.The plant had remained completely shut in recent days after around 1,800 contractual workers launched an indefinite strike on June 16 under the banner of the Joint Thermal Contractors Workers Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee. They have been demanding direct engagement with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) instead of employment through contractors.Sanjeev Kumar, president of one of the protesting unions, said a section of workers resumed duties after the state govt assured them that their demands would be addressed before June 30. However, another section continued the agitation, insisting on the implementation of commitments allegedly made in the presence of the power minister on May 24.At the afternoon demand peak, PSPCL drew more than 10,660 MW from the Northern Grid to bridge the deficit, while state-owned generation, including thermal, hydro, solar and independent power producers, stood at around 5,500 MW. By evening, demand had eased to 15,285 MW, though grid drawal remained above 10,600 MW.The state govt has stepped up efforts to end the impasse, with finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema holding talks with PSPCL and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited officials and representatives of the agitating workers.The disruption has also increased the utility’s power purchase costs, with PSPCL buying electricity from the open market at rates of up to Rs 10 per unit for several hours a day instead of relying on cheaper state-owned generation.Power sector experts said restoring state-owned thermal generation remained the most economical way to meet demand, which is expected to cross 18,000 MW in the coming weeks as paddy transplantation gathers pace. Besides two units at Lehra Mohabbat, one unit of the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant in Ropar is yet to resume operations.
