Punjab requests 1000 MW from the Centre to meet demand during the paddy season
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday requested the Union electricity Minister RK Singh to allot round-the-clock (RTC) electricity of 1000 MW from the Central pool to fulfil the anticipated peak demand of 15,500 megawatts (MW) during the next rice season.
In a letter to the Union power minister, Mann said that the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is constantly monitoring the power availability on the surplus power portal (PUShP) in order to offer a continuous supply of electricity to the state’s farmers. For a shorter time and only on a daily basis, power availability on the portal is currently uncertain.
According to him, the state needs a definitive allocation of RTC power of 1000 Megawatts for the time period from 15 June to 15 October since the demand for energy cannot be satisfied via the collective transaction sector of the power exchange.
The chief minister said that the latest Indian Meteorological Department estimate of poor monsoon rainfall in North-Western India, including Punjab, has further forced the need for extra electricity.
The nation’s interest is in the efficient and hassle-free farming of paddy for food security. As a result, the CM persuaded the Union minister to allot more firm electricity from producing units in the Central area.
Mann said that Punjab received a consistent supply of coal for its state thermal plants from the Pachhwara (Central) Coal Mine in this context. While the peak demand is anticipated to reach 15,500 MW during the paddy season, the state’s total generation capacity is only about 6500 MW.
To satisfy the high demand for electricity, he said that central help is essential.
