Ludhiana: Punjab’s industry has come out strongly against PSPCL’s decision to impose night-time power restrictions from 10 pm to 6 am on Category-II and Category-III industrial feeders, warning that the move could disrupt production, delay export orders and increase manufacturing costs at a time when businesses are already grappling with rising input costs and weak demand.Leading industry bodies, including the Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organisation (FICO) and the Association of Trade & Industrial Undertakings (ATIU), demanded an immediate rollback, questioning how a state that claims to be “power surplus” could resort to power curbs during the peak summer season.Industrialists said many units depend on night shifts to meet production targets and export commitments, and any disruption in power supply could have a cascading effect on operations, employment and competitiveness.FICO senior vice-president Rajeev Jain termed the decision a “major blunder”, saying industry was being penalised without being told the real reasons behind the power shortage. He said Punjab needed long-term planning and capacity augmentation rather than ad hoc restrictions.ATIU president Pankaj Sharma said power-intensive sectors such as induction furnaces, rolling mills and forging units cannot function on diesel generators due to their massive energy requirements. “Electricity is the primary raw material for these industries. Without uninterrupted supply, production simply cannot continue,” he said.Former CII Ludhiana chairman Ashpreet Singh Sahni also urged the state government to intervene, cautioning that prolonged restrictions could result in significant losses to industry.Responding to concerns, PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans said the restrictions were temporary and likely to remain in force for only one or two days due to a sharp spike in electricity demand amid the ongoing heatwave.The development comes amid growing concerns over power availability in Punjab, with farmers too staging protests in several parts of the state over electricity supply during the paddy transplantation season.Leading industry bodies, including the Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organisation (FICO) and the Association of Trade & Industrial Undertakings (ATIU), demanded an immediate rollback, questioning how a state that claims to be “power surplus” could resort to power curbs during the peak summer season.Industrialists said many units depend on night shifts to meet production targets and export commitments, and any disruption in power supply could have a cascading effect on operations, employment and competitiveness.FICO senior vice-president Rajeev Jain termed the decision a “major blunder”, saying industry was being penalised without being told the real reasons behind the power shortage. He said Punjab needed long-term planning and capacity augmentation rather than ad hoc restrictions.ATIU president Pankaj Sharma said power-intensive sectors such as induction furnaces, rolling mills and forging units cannot function on diesel generators due to their massive energy requirements. “Electricity is the primary raw material for these industries. Without uninterrupted supply, production simply cannot continue,” he said.Former CII Ludhiana chairman Ashpreet Singh Sahni also urged the state government to intervene, cautioning that prolonged restrictions could result in significant losses to industry.Responding to concerns, PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans said the restrictions were temporary and likely to remain in force for only one or two days due to a sharp spike in electricity demand amid the ongoing heatwave.The development comes amid growing concerns over power availability in Punjab, with farmers too staging protests in several parts of the state over electricity supply during the paddy transplantation season.
