MOHALI: The industry sector that has gone through very difficult times during the pandemic and lockdown, which has resulted in heavy loss of business and shrinking demand. The three-day industrial power cut will be last nail in the coffin for the industries in Mohali, said Mohali Industry Association (MIA) president Yogesh Sagar.
He said the MIA don’t welcome the decision of the Punjab government as the decision had left all industrialists upset. “After the lockdown, businesses had barely gained momentum, but imposition of a three-day power cut on large scale consumers will make it difficult for them to sustain. The industries sector urges the government to discontinue these power cuts immediately.”
With the state reeling under an unprecedented power shortage amid extreme temperatures, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh recently ordered curtailment in timings of state government offices and cutting down of power supply to high energy-consuming industries with immediate effect, to save crops and ease the domestic power situation.
He also appealed to all government offices to make judicious use of electricity, adding that the situation was dire as the peak demand in the state had touched a whopping 14,500 MW. So far, there is no decision on ban on use of ACs in government offices, which will function from 8am to 2pm till further orders, an official spokesperson said after the meeting.
Not taking the decision in their stride, the industrialists said that the government must have foreseen the crisis and arranged for surplus power to cater the demand. Derabassi-based industrialist Ashwani Sharma said, “We are small scale industrialists and live on daily production, sale and earnings. We are very much dependent upon the government power supply. When we do not get power, we face straight losses. Derabassi is already facing major power cuts rendering huge loses to us. And now, official power cuts will further ruin us.”
