On 28th June, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM-Punjab) launched statewide protests against the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) as an acute power shortage disrupted paddy transplantation and irrigation across the state. The agitation comes as Punjab’s electricity demand approaches a record 17,000 MW. The state is facing a power crisis at a time when the 2027 State Assembly elections are just months away.
Farmers held sit-in demonstrations outside PSPCL offices and electricity grids, demanding an adequate and uninterrupted power supply for agricultural feeders. Protests were reported in Dhola, Goindwal Sahib, Tapa, Kathunangal, Maur, Patiala and parts of Muktsar.
KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher said in a statement that agricultural feeders were receiving only two-and-a-half to four hours of power daily, despite repeated assurances of an eight-hour supply. He said the shortage had forced farmers to spend their savings or borrow money to operate diesel-powered irrigation motors.
Farmers warn of chakka jam
Tensions escalated after police detained farmers who were travelling to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Lok Milni programme in Moga. Pandher said the authorities had been informed about the delegation’s visit in advance and described the detentions as “dictatorship instead of democracy”.
He warned that farmer unions would organise a chakka jam if the government continued to suppress their voices. Farmer delegations would also continue visiting the Chief Minister’s Lok Milni programmes to question him over the power crisis and what Pandher described as policy paralysis. Notably, the Lok Milni programme was launched by CM Mann in 2022 to address the problems of the people of Punjab. The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government is expected to intensify the frequency of such public meetings in view of the upcoming elections.
The KMM has demanded at least 16 hours of uninterrupted electricity for agricultural motors and a round-the-clock supply for domestic consumers. It also wants faulty transformers to be replaced within 24 hours, with PSPCL arranging their transportation.
Demand reaches nearly 16,940 MW
Punjab’s power requirement touched nearly 16,940 MW amid an intense heatwave and peak paddy transplantation. However, PSPCL’s own generating stations were producing around 5,744 MW, leaving the state heavily dependent on electricity purchased from the central pool.
Industrial units have also complained of prolonged and unscheduled outages affecting manufacturing.
With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching, the widening power crisis could become a major political challenge for the Bhagwant Mann-led government, particularly if shortages continue during the crucial paddy season.
