Chandigarh: Amid a deepening power crisis, the Punjab government on Monday replaced Basant Garg as power secretary and chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). Senior IAS officer Gurkirat Kirpal Singh has been given charge of both positions with immediate effect.
The leadership change comes as Punjab grapples with acute energy shortages, prolonged industrial power cuts extending up to 14 hours, and unscheduled outages across rural and domestic sectors.
The state’s peak power demand has surged to approximately 16,500 MW, sharply widening the gap between supply and requirement. To bridge the deficit, PSPCL is relying heavily on central grid purchases, currently exceeding 11,000 MW, while internal generation languishes near 4,300 MW.
Operationally, the state grid remains under severe pressure. Two major private thermal units—one each at Nabha Power and Talwandi Sabo—are non-operational, while state-owned thermal plants face coal inventory constraints.
The PSPCL has issued notices to independent power producers over inadequate coal stocks, and chief secretary KAP Sinha has convened an emergency meeting to review fuel supply and advance procurement strategies.
The government has faced mounting criticism from industrial associations over power cuts, while opposition parties have targeted the AAP administration for poor demand forecasting.
Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, a 2001-batch IAS officer who previously served as power secretary now faces the immediate task of stabilising grid supply, securing fuel stocks, and managing peak-load procurement.
Garg, a 2005-batch IAS officer, was appointed to the post last year and has been reassigned as secretary, industries and commerce.