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Last Update: 8 April 2025

-- Punjab Govt formed on : 16 March 2022
-- Free Power started on : 1st July 2023 (Within 3 months of coming to power)

Even General Class benefits: First time in India got 300 units per month FREE

“It’s a big relief. Electricity is essential. Under the previous governments, it was a challenge for us to pay the bill as it was almost ₹2,000 a month in summer and ₹1,000 a month in winter. We haven’t paid a single bill since July 2022,” said Kanti (54) from Mandiala, a remote village in Amritsar district[1]

RIGHT To Lifeline POWER[2]

  • 300 Units per month free in Punjab
  • Total 600 Units for 2 month bill cycle Free in Punjab

Automatic Subsidy: No Applications, No calculations

Universal, for All: No Caste certificates, No income certificates

IMPACT

97+% Families in Punjab got ZERO bills in Dec 2023[3]

Month Zero Billed Subsidy Benefited[4]
April 2023 90+% 97.7%
May 2023 86.4% 97.1%
June 2023 78.1% 96.7%
July 2023 68.4% 96%
Aug 2023 61.8% 95.7%
Sept 2023 60.9% 95.6%
Oct 2023 73.7.9% 96.2%
Nov 2023 87.1% 97.5%
Dec 2023[3:1] 97+% -
Jan 2024[5] 89.6% -
Feb 2024[5:1] 88.16% -
Mar 2023[5:2] 89.76+% -

Still power surplus, No Power cuts

Installed power generation capacity, which was 13892 MW in 2021-22, has expanded to 14840 MW by 2024-25[6]

  • Highest ever 16058 MW demand met in Punjab in 2024-25, without power cuts[6:1]
Year Peak Power
2023-24 15325 MW[7]
2022-23 14311 MW[8]
2021-22 13431 MW[6:2]
  • PSPCL sets new record of 3435 Lakh units power supply in a day on June 24 2023[8:1]
    • This is 91 lakh units more than the previous year's record[8:2]
  • PSPCL sells ‘surplus’ power worth 280 crores even in June, peak month of the year[9]

Electricity for Farmer

Did Punjab Govt make subsidy payments?[10]

  • Yes, All subsidy payments of 20,000 crores made by govt already
  • Also paying pending dues 9000 crore of previous congress government to PSPCL in installments[11]
Party in Power[11:1] Time in Power Unpaid Power Subsidy
AAP 2022-Now Rs 7216 crores (1804 crores paid every year)
Congress 2017-2022 Rs 9020 crores
Akali 2012-2017 Rs 2342 crores

During Congress rule(2021)

  • Industry used to be shut down due to power shortage[12]
  • Govt Offices cut work hours amid power shortage[13]
  • And let's not even mention powercuts for both Urban & Rural areas[14]

[15]


[16]

References:


  1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/two-years-of-aap-govt-free-power-powers-populism-in-punjab-101710531154808.html ↩︎

  2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/80-consumers-benefitted-from-aap-s-free-power-scheme-punjab-minister-101659638681835.html ↩︎

  3. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/power-debt-piling-up-in-punjab-97-getting-subsidy-this-winter-579756 ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/105974526.cms ↩︎

  5. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/nearly-90-domestic-power-users-in-punjab-get-zero-bills-101711741289722-amp.html ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. https://yespunjab.com/manpreet-singh-ayali-mispresented-data-on-power-generation-supply-harbhajan-singh-eto/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/pspcl-meets-record-demand-without-power-cuts-8681800/ ↩︎

  8. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=167033&headline=PSPCL-sets-new-record-of-3435-LU-power-supply-in-a-day ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/pspcl-sells-‘surplus-power-worth-280-crores-in-june-213293 ↩︎

  10. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/govt-clears-20k-crore-subsidy-bill-of-pspcl-494888 ↩︎

  11. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=173664 ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/punjab-tells-large-industries-to-shut-operations-till-july-10-to-overcome-power-shortage-279036 ↩︎

  13. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/punjab/story/punjab-govt-offices-major-power-crisis-electricity-1822877-2021-07-02 ↩︎

  14. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-power-problem-for-capt-govt-7374814/ ↩︎

  15. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/punjab-power-crisis-2-day-shutdown-for-industry-7385188/ ↩︎

  16. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/punjab-power-crisis-power-cuts-imposed-power-plants-reduce-capacity-due-to-coal-shortage-2569853 ↩︎

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