Punjab Youth Congress gheraos PSPCL office over power ‘crisis’
Patiala, July 25
Members of the Punjab Youth Congress staged a protest over the power “crisis” in the state today. On July 20, a long power cut at the state government-run Rajindra Hospital left several patients and their attendants at the receiving end.
The Punjab Youth Congress gheraoed the office of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) this afternoon.
Led by Mohit Mohindra, president of the Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress, and Rishendra Mahar, in charge, Punjab Youth Congress, the protesters highlighted the difficulties faced by the people of the state due to long power cuts, including the recent one at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, where doctors had to allegedly perform caesarean section surgeries using their mobile torch.
“The incident at Rajindra Hospital is a proof of the government’s failure. Power cuts are not only affecting agriculture but also playing with the health of the people,” alleged Mohit.
He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of breaking its promise of providing uninterrupted power supply to farmers. He said, “The government’s promise was a bundle of lies. The increasing subsidy burden is pushing the powercom towards bankruptcy.”
The protesters raised slogans against the state government and marched towards the office; however, the police stopped them, which resulted in a mild clash. The police detained Youth Congress workers to end the protest.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira shared the video with the hospital, where patients could be seen reeling under heat and humidity due to the power outage.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the incident took place on July 20 due to an electrical snag in the underground power cable, which led to a power outage for nearly two hours. He said the hospital had 20 generators as a backup measure.
Dr Balbir Singh held a meeting with PSPCL CMD Baldev Singh Saran, Medical Education and Research Director Dr Avnish Kumar, Medical Superintendent Girish Sahni, and officials from the electrical wing of the PWD. He emphasised the importance of maintaining the power supply to support the hospital’s life-saving devices, stressing that all arrangements should be thoroughly reviewed. Orders were issued to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply to the hospital.
The Health Minister stated that obstacles in the power supply, which affect the quality of healthcare services, should be addressed.
Dr Balbir said the PSPCL had promised to install an additional 11-KV line from the grid, supplementing the two existing lines, to prevent future power interruptions.
