FICO Strongly Opposed Night Power Blackout for Industries

Ludhiana, September 3, 2026: A delegation of the Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organization (FICO), led by K.K. Seth, Chairman, FICO, along with Gurmeet Singh Kular, President, FICO, and Harpal Singh Bhamber Head Bicycle Division FICO met Jagdev Singh Hans, Chief Engineer – Central Zone, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), Ludhiana. 
The delegation submitted a memorandum regarding the recent decision of PSPCL to cut power supply to Category-II and Category-III industrial feeders from 7:00 PM to 12:00 midnight in Ludhiana City, Miller Ganj, Mandi Gobindgarh, Khanna and Mohali. The power cuts have been imposed due to the shortage of power caused by the outage of units at GHTP Lehra Mohabbat and GGSSTP Ropar, along with the unavailability of RSD units.
FICO strongly opposed the decision to impose five-hour daily night power cuts on industries.
K.K. Seth and Gurmeet Singh Kular said that night power cuts create serious safety and security problems for industrial areas. During fixed blackout hours, there are higher chances of theft and robbery, which can put industries, workers and machinery at risk.
They said that electricity is a basic requirement for industries. Many factories work in night shifts to complete their production, meet delivery schedules and fulfil export orders. Sudden power cuts can stop production, increase costs and cause delays in deliveries. The industrial sector is already facing many problems such as high input costs and strong competition from other states. Regular night power cuts will put an additional burden on industries and may also affect employment and production.
FICO requested PSPCL to immediately review and withdraw the night power cut decision for industries. The delegation said that if there is a serious shortage of power, PSPCL may consider planned power cuts during the daytime, but regular five-hour night power cuts are not acceptable to the industry. This is the first time in the history of Punjab that such a regular night blackout has been imposed on industries. The industrial sector has never faced such a situation where power supply to industrial feeders is being cut for five hours every day during the night. FICO made it clear that if the night power blackouts are not stopped immediately, FICO will be forced to launch a protest against PSPCL.
FICO appealed to PSPCL to provide uninterrupted power supply to industries and take all possible steps to solve the present power shortage. FICO stated that reliable power supply is very important for industrial growth, employment, exports and the overall economic development of Punjab.