Punjab is all set to get “uninterrupted power supply” by the end of this year, claimed State Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Sunday stating that the State is already “power surplus”. “After achieving power surplus status, the State is now all set to have uninterrupted power supply by the end of this year,” said Sukhbir .
He said that the State Government has envisioned strengthening of Transmission and Distribution (T and D) network of all villages and towns at a cost of Rs2,514 crore under Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Program (R-APRDRP), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).
After successfully launching the R-APRDRP scheme worth Rs1,314 crore for strengthening the T and D network of 47 towns having population more than 30,000, the State Government has moved proposal under IPDS to cover 70 more towns having population 5,000 or more, he said. He said that the power infrastructure in rural areas would also be improved on the same pattern under the DDUGJY scheme.
Giving details of R-APRDR program, he said the works are in full swing on 24 projects covering Amritsar, Jalandhar, ludhiana East, ludhiana West, Patti, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Phagwara, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Tarntaran, Batala, Nakodar, Sunam, Sirhind, Nangal, Rajpura, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Samana, Nabha, Barnala, Kharar and Jagraon. He said the work on remaining 23 projects in various towns would be launched by next month.
Stressing on strengthening power infrastructure in rural and small towns, he said that under DDUGJ Yojna, agricultural and non-agricultural feeders would be separated facilitating judicious rostering of supply to agricultural and non-agricultural consumers in the rural areas and strengthening and augmentation of infrastructure.
Sukhbir said that there would be considerable reduction in T and D losses besides ensuring reliable power supply to the people after completion of these projects. “People of the State will witness total revamping of power infrastructure, uninterrupted power supply, quality services by the end of this year and it would also increase State revenue,” he emphasised.