With the commencement of paddy transplantation in Jalandhar on Tuesday, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has intensified its efforts to ensure an uninterrupted eight-hour daily electricity supply to farmers for operating their tubewells during the peak agricultural season.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Preparations
According to officials, the power department has completed maintenance work on 134 agricultural feeders and upgraded transformers across the Jalandhar Circle to manage the anticipated surge in electricity demand. To prevent power disruptions and transformer failures, whenever an agricultural feeder exceeds its sanctioned capacity, some agricultural connections will be shifted to nearby feeders.
Power Supply Timings and Group Allocation
To handle the increased demand, PSPCL has categorized agricultural consumers into different groups with assigned power supply timings. Farmers connected to the 66 KV Focal Point-I substation and the 132 KV substation in Kahnpur will receive electricity from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. This substation serves consumers in Tanda Road, Maqsudan, Barring, Kot Sadiq, Panchhat, and Sarhali areas.
Most other agricultural consumers fall under a two-group supply system. Under this arrangement, one group receives power from 4 am to 12 noon, while the second group gets supply from 12 noon to 8 pm. The substations covered under this system include Chaheru, Daulatpur, Daroli Kalan, Hoshiarpur Road, Phagwara, Jamsher, Alawalpur, and Badshahpur. PSPCL has stated that the groups will be rotated every two days to ensure farmers receive different supply timings throughout the season.
24x7 Paddy Control Room and Helpline Numbers
To assist farmers in reporting power-related issues, PSPCL has established a 24x7 Paddy Control Room. Farmers can contact the Jalandhar Circle control room at 96461-21416. Additionally, separate helpline numbers have been issued for different divisions: East Division (96466-95106), Cantt Division (96461-14254), Phagwara Division (96461-14410), Model Town Division (96461-16777), and West Division (96461-14251).
Officials have placed field staff on alert to promptly address complaints related to power cuts, feeder faults, and transformer breakdowns. Gulshan Chutani, PSPCL Deputy Chief Engineer, stated, "We have made all preparations to ensure a steady eight-hour supply to farmers."
