Punjab power utility — Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) — on Monday said that it has bought electricity worth Rs4,000 crore from various firms to ensure eight-hour of energy supply to farmers during the paddy sowing season. “Power Corporation (Powercom) has signed agreements with various power companies to purchase power worth Rs4,000 crore to provide eight-hour uninterrupted power supply to farmers,” said an official spokesperson.
He said that Powercom is fully geared up to ensure reliable power supply to consumers and eight hours of power to agriculture pumpsets (AP) consumers from June 10 during the coming paddy season. Spokesperson said that keeping in view the ensuing kharif season where more than 28 lakh hectares land would be cultivated under major crops including paddy, the PSPCl has made multi-dimensional arrangements to meet the enhanced power demand, besides prepared a comprehensive strategy to restore power supply as soon as possible.
He said that PSPCl has installed centralized online consumer complaint or grievance management system with helpline number 1912 and state-of-the-art customer care centres in various urban areas. Giving details, he said that consumer may lodge complaint on this helpline number even by sending an SMS and after registration of complaint, a unique registration number would be allotted to the complainant via SMS on mobile.
He said that complainant would be informed about the action taken on his or her complaint. Besides, an interactive voice response system (IVRS) — 0175-2225230 — has also been put in place to promptly attend consumers’ grievances. Spokesperson informed that damaged transformers would be replaced within 48 hours and time table of power supply should be available in the control room so that consumers or farmers could get the information.
He said that quality service to electricity consumers is of prime importance and any lapse in service to consumers will not be tolerated. Special control rooms have been set up at each zonal headquarters — Amritsar (98888-91692), Jalandhar (96461-16679), ludhiana (96461-22070), Bathinda (96461-18039) and Patiala (96461-46400) — to apprise power supply position to consumers in Punjab. “If any AP consumer is not getting adequate power supply from June 10, he can register his complaint on the respective zonal control room phone number,” he added.
Spokesperson said that PSPCl’s consumer base has grown to around 80 lakh at present and achieved highest per capita consumption in India (1799 kilo watt hour) against all India average of 884 kwh). He said that PSPCl has been able to supply more reliable power, due to the huge efforts made in upgrading or strengthening of its distribution and transmission system at a cost of Rs4,400 crore. The State Government has instructed all engineers and employees to make it a point to attend to consumer’s complaints such as interruption in power supply, replacement of damaged transformers etc. on priority basis. He said that quality service to electricity consumers is of prime importance and any lapse in service to consumers will not be tolerated.