Cuts spell dark days for Punjab Inc: Industrialists

CHANDIGARH/LUDHIANA: The industry in Punjab has been suffering production losses due to unscheduled power cuts ranging from four to five hours for the last three days, said representatives of industrial groups across the state on Monday.
The statements came even as Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi promised to not let the state plunge into a black out. Responding to a query by media persons in Chandigarh regarding acute coal shortage in the country, Channi said he had already taken up this issue with the ministry of coal to ensure supply of coal.
Meanwhile, Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association president Badish Jindal said a power cut was imposed for five hours in industrial hubs across the state on Saturday and another for four to five hours on Monday. “Power cuts are causing huge production losses. Industries which require continuous process, such as steel or plastic, have failed to run due to failure of continued supply by PSPCL,” he said. Jindal, who is based in Ludhiana, said this was increasing the costs and unrest in workers, as they were forced to sit idle for long hours. “Alredy hit by Covid-19 and farm protests, the industry is facing the final nail in its coffin in Punjab in the shape of these power cuts,” said Jindal.
He added this was peak production time for industries such as hosiery and bicycle as festival season was round the corner and the least the Punjab government could do was to provide round-the-clock power to industry. “The coal ministry is claiming availability of 400 lakh tonnes of coal, which is sufficient for 20 days and is assuring continuous supply of coal to 135 thermal plants of India. On the other hand, the chief of PSPCL is claiming huge scarcity of coal and is imposing huge unscheduled power cuts in the state,” he added, questioning who should the industry believe. Vipan Mahajan, director of Nova Fitness and Phillips Sports Limited in Jalandhar, said industry in Jalandhar was facing daily power cuts since Saturday. “Today, we have asked the contract labour force to sit at home after we came to know that these cuts may continue. There is no use of paying full day’s salary to staff for just 3-4 hours of work,” said Vipan Mahajan, director of Nova Fitness and Phillips Sports Limited in Jalandhar, adding that the bigger the industry, the bigger the loss.
Varun Arora, president of Amritsar Foundry Engineering Association, said they had also been bearing the brunt of unscheduled cuts ranging from two to three hours since Saturday. Vinod Vashisht, president of All India Steel Rollers Association in Mandi Gobindgarh, said though they had not faced any power cut till now, they had been asked to be prepared if the situation deteriorated.
Narinder Bhamra, president of Fasteners Manufacturers Association of India, said the danger of blackout will make matters worse for us. “It will be impossible to arrange any power alternatives for longer durations to run our factories in case the power plants shut down. Government must act now and take corrective measures to save the industry from being pushed into darkness.”
Rajkumar Singla, president of Fastener Supplier Association Ludhiana, said PSPCL chief’s statement on the shortage of coal with private plants was giving them sleepless nights. “We do not know who is to be blamed for the coal shortage, but we have just one demand that state government and PSPCL should find out a solution as soon as possible or else industries will face huge losses and even government revenue will suffer if industrial production comes to a halt in the state. State government should consider purchasing power from states like Himachal and Uttarakhand which produce power through non-coal-based means.”