Ludhiana, July 15 (KNN) Ludhiana’s industrial associations are urging the government to provide uninterrupted 24x7 power supply to the industries, according to a report in the TOI.

During a Joint meeting of bicycle and auto parts’ manufacturers in the city, Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (Fico) chairman K K Seth said, “The government must ensure uninterrupted 24x7 power supply to the industry as we are witnessing long power cuts.”

“Recently, the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) imposed the condition of installing quality meters on the power-intensive and large supply connections. These meters are so costly that we will have to shell out lakhs of rupees to get them installed,” he said.

The meeting was held to discuss problems related to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) being faced by the industrialists.

During the meeting, they discussed issue of fixed charges increased by the PSPCL two months ago and the erratic power supply.

FICO president Gurmeet Singh Kular said, “In addition to erratic power supply, the Ludhiana industry is also facing scheduled and unscheduled power cuts.”

“Another major problem is the recent increase in power and fixed charges leading to a huge rise in our cost of production which has also taken a hit due to inflation, increase in labour charges and other inputs. During the meeting, we decided to meet the PSPCL chairman soon and urge him to at least decrease rates of power immediately,” he added.

Small-Scale Manufacturers Association president Jaswinder Singh Thukral said, “Rather than looking for ways to extort money from industry, PSPCL should focus on improving the power supply.”

“While technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, Ludhiana industry is still facing unscheduled power shedding, voltage fluctuations and frequent breakdowns, which are leading to a huge financial loss,” he said.  (KNN Bureau)