Plug the leak

Power theft in Punjab has crossed alarming limits, costing the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) over Rs 2,000 crore in 2024-25 — a staggering Rs 5.5 crore per day. Even more startling is that this haemorrhaging isn’t due to system failures or natural calamities but deliberate pilferage. Nearly 77 per cent of the loss-making feeders are concentrated in the border and west zones, including divisions like Patti, Bhikhiwind, Ajnala and Zira — many of which are notorious for organised theft. From underground kundi connections to meter-tampering and disabling of pillar boxes, theft has become a way of life in some areas, often under the protection or patronage of political and religious entities. The irony is hard to ignore — while people benefit from subsidised or even free electricity up to 600 units, the urge to steal more remains undiminished.

But the crisis doesn’t end there. PSPCL is plagued by severe staff shortages, with just 1,313 regular linemen for over 4,900 sanctioned posts. In Ludhiana alone, half the posts for junior engineer lie vacant. Field response is crippled, leading to long outages, delays in rectification and rising public resentment. The overreliance on underpaid, overworked and protest-prone contractual workers only adds to the chaos.

The regulatory commission has flagged this mess, but that alone won’t suffice. What is needed is political will. Targeted crackdowns on high-loss feeders, incentives for honest usage, installation of tamper-proof smart meters and a strong recruitment drive are long overdue. There must also be real deterrents. Identified power thieves should not just be penalised but permanently barred from availing themselves of free electricity schemes. Only strict, transparent punishment will shake off this culture of impunity. PSPCL cannot continue to bleed, especially given that Punjab’s debt burden is the second highest in the country, with liabilities of Rs 3.78 lakh crore in March 2025.