Power Crisis

      Across India there is big gap between demand and supply of electricity barring few states, instead of increasing power generation permanently, State Electricity Boards are purchasing power from other states on banking basis plus rest of the gap of supply they are meeting through power cuts. In the summer season one can understand that because of additional devices’ starts running like Fans, Refrigerators and Air Conditioners demand of electricity increases, but some States Electricity Boards condition are worst as they are unable to meet the demand even in winter season when consumption of power dips significantly and its demand reaches at lowest level of the year and boards start declaring of surplus electricity, surprisingly now some states electricity boards are unable to fulfill the demand of power even in winter season and imposing power shredding of five to six hours scheduled & addition of schedule some unschedule power cuts are continue in the states, now alternative power in residential premises’ ,business houses’ and industries become necessity in these states.
      Punjab State is one of such state which has severe shortage of power and board is unable to produce power as per demand even in winter, reasons can be –

• Free and subsidise power to some section of society.
• Power theft.
• New construction throughout state like residential, business, industry, shopping malls.
• No new power plants starts operating in the state from last more then three decades despite demand keep on increasing.

      It is ridiculous that Electricity board is unable to meet the demand even in winter season but ruling party leaders are claming & giving assurances to the public that in coming two years period they will make Punjab state one of the power surplus state of the country and in present scenario it looks like a dream right now and perhaps which will never become reality. Last year in the summer season because of less rainfall in the rainy season power cuts touches new heights in hours that is almost fifteen to sixteen hours in a day and cuts had no fix timings plus electricity board not bothered to inform public in advance through advertisement in the newspapers, then board started buying time from public by giving false information that power cuts will be end after paddy season but when it also passed away, then they declared that in the state after September month power cuts will be reduced but after the month of September once again they gave new time to public that was of October month and this way we entered in the month of February but till date power cuts are continue in the state, yes hours reduce from fifteen to sixteen hours in a day to five to six hours in a day, electricity board was unable to give round the clock power to its consumers continuously for two weeks time in passed twelve months, but power tariff keep on revising in the state after every one year and last time when Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission increased the tariff in the month of October ,2009 insult to injury was that Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission announced that revise tariff will be effective from April ,2009 and it will be collected from consumer in three equal installments in coming three bills ,on the other hand Punjab government continue giving free power to some section of society as before, but revise tariff was not effective after strong opposition from it’s alliance partner.
     Right now for consumers of state it is appearing a dream to have round the clock power after two years but its hard fact that in any season consumers can experience uninterrupted power supply round the clock for some days if election held in state then shortage and power crisis ends and state government arrange power. Now a days to run any business without power it is not possible as lot of business are now power base, but if Government doing initiative and erecting power plants then two years period is not a big deal for state residents.