Patiala, July 1
In view of the deepening power crisis in Punjab, the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today sent an SOS to the Union Power Minister, Mr P.M. Sayeed, urging him to allocate an additional 500 mw of power to the state immediately.

The Chief Minister in his SOS message requested Mr Sayeed to allocate to Punjab 143 mw from the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station, increase the state’s share of unallocated power from the Central sector power stations from 20 to 30 per cent, allocate the 7 per cent power not surrendered by Jammu and Kashmir from the Nathpa Jhakri project, besides allocate the unallocated power from the eastern and western corridors.

Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) spokesman R.P. Pandove disclosed that the gap between the demand and the availability had risen to 20 per cent. Giving details, he said the demand had reached 5383 mw which was a 20 per cent increase in comparison with the power available with the state. Due to this, Mr Pandove said the Board had been forced to take regulatory measures on a short term basis.

The Board had imposed two consecutive weekly off days on industrial consumers and four hour power cut on Aurban domestic consumers, which would be in two spells from 0900 hours to 1300 hours in half of the state and from 1400 hours to 1800 hours in the rest of the state. The important cities in the state would be subjected to power cuts ranging from two to three hours depending on the availability of power.

The PSEB had stated that agricultural consumers would be ensured eight hours of uninterrupted power supply and rural domestic consumers would get three hours supply.

The public utility had also simultaneously appealed to the people to minimise the use of air conditioners during this critical juncture till the advent of the monsoon. It had also advised rural consumers from running three-phase tubewell motors on single phase line.