Punjab Power “Surplus” Claim Falls Flat as State Faces 8–10 Hour Cuts Amid Heatwave: Pargat

Chandigarh, April 22, 2026: Former Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government, which claims Punjab to be power-surplus, has pushed the state into a severe electricity crisis. He said the Chief Minister is busy with foreign tours, while ministers are focused on luxury and selling government land. As a result, a gap of around 1,500 MW has emerged between power demand and supply in Punjab, which will worsen with rising temperatures. Farmers are also receiving little to no electricity supply.
Pargat Singh stated that the power situation in Punjab has deteriorated to such an extent that even in the third week of April 2026, amid severe heat and heatwave alerts, unannounced power cuts of 8 to 10 hours have begun in cities and villages. The situation has become particularly serious in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, and Patiala. If conditions continue, long outages may also occur during nighttime. The Punjab power utility has failed to bridge the electricity shortage.
He further said that in the past week, power demand in Punjab has surged sharply from 6,500 MW to over 10,000 MW. At present, no electricity is being supplied to the agricultural sector, yet Powercom is unable to meet demand. He alleged that to hide major failures, unannounced power cuts are being imposed under the pretext of “beautification.” Consumers are also not being given accurate information through helpline numbers.
Pargat Singh added that some senior officials in Powercom themselves admit that meeting demand before April 28, 2026, is not possible. Once paddy transplantation begins, electricity supply will have to be diverted to agriculture, further widening the gap between demand and supply. He said it is certain that people will suffer without adequate electricity during this summer.
He also stated that the Chief Minister had claimed Punjab would have no power cuts and had become power-surplus, but those claims have proven hollow. The government has failed to cover Powercom’s losses. It had widely publicized the purchase of a coal mine, but neither the mine nor coal is visible. The reality, he said, is that the government has completely failed to provide relief from power cuts during this intense summer.