Punjab has struggled with power cuts for years, especially during the harsh summer months when farmers, factories, and families all draw heavily on the grid at once. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says that the story is changing. According to the state government, Punjab‘s electricity system has moved from frequent shortages to a far more dependable supply, backed by higher power generation, a stronger transmission network, and continued free electricity for most homes.

From Losses to Profit: A Changed Power Sector

Mann has claimed that Punjab‘s power sector, once seen as a financial drain, is now turning a profit, even while nearly 90 percent of households pay zero electricity bills under the government’s free-power scheme covering up to 600 units. A key part of this shift, he says, was buying back the 540 MW Goindwal Sahib thermal plant instead of letting public power assets go to private hands. Since that takeover in February 2024, the plant’s output efficiency has reportedly risen sharply compared to its earlier performance.

Stronger Grid, Fewer Blackouts

Better generation only helps if the power actually reaches people, and this is where infrastructure spending comes in. The state says it has expanded transmission capacity significantly, allowing more electricity to be imported from the national grid during peak demand. Under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, Punjab is investing around Rs 5,000 crore to install thousands of new feeders and lakhs of distribution transformers, aiming to cut overloading and reduce the local faults that often cause outages.

Relief for Farmers During Paddy Season

Farmers, who depend on tubewells during the paddy-sowing season, have been a particular focus. Officials say agricultural feeders have received well beyond the promised eight hours of daily power, touching up to 20 hours on some days. A brief shortfall in late June, caused by a heat-driven demand spike and a workers’ strike at thermal plants, was addressed once the strike ended, with extra power supplied to affected areas.

Digital Push for Everyday Consumers

The government is also modernising how people interact with the power department itself. A new paperless connection system, rolling out through Suvidha Centres, lets residents apply for new connections with just an Aadhaar card, property papers, and photographs, cutting down the paperwork that once slowed the process.

Claims vs. Independent Verification

These are the government’s own figures and claims, and independent audits of profitability and reliability data would give a fuller picture. Still, the direction is clear: Punjab is betting that combining public ownership of power assets, grid modernisation, and continued subsidies can deliver both affordability and stability, a balance that has eluded the state for years.