The North News
Chandigarh, October 8
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping ₹5,000 crore initiative to transform Punjab’s power sector, promising to make it India’s first state without power cuts. The project, titled ‘Roshan Punjab’, aims to modernise the state’s transmission and distribution systems, upgrade outdated infrastructure, and ensure uninterrupted electricity to homes, farms, and industries by next year.
Speaking at the launch, Kejriwal called it a “historic moment” for Punjab, marking what he described as the beginning of a new era in the state’s energy sector. “No government in the past 75 years ever dreamt of this scale of reform,” he said. “Punjab’s industry already enjoys one of the lowest tariffs in India, farmers get uninterrupted power, and now every household will have access to round-the-clock electricity.”
The AAP leader said the project would focus on expanding substations, strengthening power lines, and reducing feeder load across the state. “For the first time, Punjab is investing ₹5,000 crore directly in its power sector. The goal is simple — 24-hour power supply by next year,” Kejriwal said, adding that the plan also includes the installation of smart systems to eliminate voltage fluctuations, particularly in rural areas.
Kejriwal said the project was initially piloted in West Ludhiana, where obsolete wiring, open meters, and low-hanging cables were replaced for safety and efficiency. Following its success, the plan is being expanded to all 87 subdivisions across 13 municipal corporations and is expected to be completed by June 2026. A 24-hour consumer helpline (1912) has also been launched, managed by 180 call-centre staff in Mohali, to respond to power-related complaints.
Highlighting AAP’s welfare-driven approach, Kejriwal said the Punjab government was the first to provide 600 units of free electricity to every household, resulting in zero bills for 90% of families. He also announced that the state had purchased the Goindwal Power Plant from private company GVK Power, renaming it after Guru Amar Das Ji, the third Sikh Guru — a move he described as “historic and symbolic of public ownership”.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who credited Kejriwal’s vision for inspiring the reform, said that education, health, and power had become central issues in Indian politics because of AAP’s governance model. “Power is the lifeline of any economy,” Mann said. “For the first time, Punjab’s domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors are receiving uninterrupted power.”
Mann said the reopening of the Pachwara coal mine, which had been closed since 2015, had helped Punjab achieve surplus coal supply. “While other governments are selling public assets, we are buying them back for the people,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister added that 55,000 government jobs had been created in a transparent, merit-based process and reiterated his administration’s fight against drugs through the ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) campaign. He said his government had also opened 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, providing free medicines to 1.75 crore people, and established Schools of Eminence to improve public education — 265 students from these schools have qualified for JEE Mains, 44 for JEE Advanced, and 848 for NEET.
“Punjab was once kept in darkness — both literally and politically,” Mann said. “Now, we are illuminating it in every sense — through light, education, health, and opportunity.”
The event was attended by Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, Lok Sabha MP Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal, and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, among others.
