Some areas of the state have already faced power cuts (File)
Chandigarh:
The ongoing rail blockade has severely affected the coal supply to the Punjab’s thermal power plants, officials said on Saturday, as fear of severe power outages grows in the state.
Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal called on farmer groups, which protested against the three contentious new agricultural laws, to ease their agitation to allow freight trains to run.
“If the (freight) train services do not resume, I fear there could be blackouts and possibly a total blackout in the state,” Badal told reporters.
In the absence of movement of freight trains due to the unrest “rail-roko” for an indefinite period, the supply of coal to thermal power stations has reached a critical stage.
“We now have two days of coal left,” said Punjab State Power Corporation Limited chairman and managing director Venuprasad.
According to officials, the Lehra Mohabbat, Ropar and GVK thermal power plants are already closed. Two other power plants – Talwandi Sabo and Nabha – are operating at half of their total power generation capacity.
Some areas of the state have already faced power cuts due to reduced power generation.
The state buys 6,500 MW of electricity from other sources, including private ones, against a demand of more than 7,000 MW.
Various farmer organizations protested against the new agricultural laws. They had intensified their agitation by resorting to railway blockades for an indefinite period from October 1.
Farmers under the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh committee banner have been squatting on the train tracks in Amritsar and Ferozepur since September 24.
Meanwhile, several peasant organizations held a meeting in Barnala on Saturday to discuss Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s call to ease their “rail-roko” agitation.
However, it ended without any decision as representatives of some farmers’ associations were able to attend the meeting.
At their October 7 meeting, peasant leaders ignored Mr. Singh’s call to authorize freight trains.
While appealing to farmers, the chief minister said the state government must urgently transport food grains, coal, fertilizer and oil as a priority, in addition to removing paddy grain from markets. wholesale.
He also noted that the state’s coal stocks were critical and if not replenished quickly, there would be severe power shortages, hampering wheat planting operations.
