New Delhi-Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney has raised serious questions over Punjab’s ongoing power disruptions, arguing that the state’s electricity crisis cannot simply be attributed to a shortage of coal.In a post on Tuesday, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said Punjab had comfortable coal supplies, but state-run thermal power plants were still operating at significantly reduced capacity. According to Sahney, the Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat thermal plants were operating at only 36.4% and 28.7%, respectively, because of technical failures.
Sahney also pointed to reports of a ₹7,800-crore revenue gap in PSPCL, which he attributed to pending power-subsidy payments from the state government. He questioned what concrete measures were being taken to address the unscheduled power cuts.
The MP warned that unreliable electricity is not merely a household inconvenience but a serious economic concern for Punjab. The state’s industries and manufacturing sector depend on a stable and affordable power supply for production, investment and employment.
“Prolonged disruptions hurt growth, competitiveness and jobs,” Sahney said, calling for transparent financial management, accountability and long-term energy planning rather than uncertainty.
His intervention puts the spotlight on two interconnected problems facing Punjab’s power sector—the operational health of government thermal plants and the financial burden created by unpaid subsidy obligations.
The issue is particularly significant for Punjab’s industrial belt, where frequent or prolonged power interruptions can disrupt production schedules, increase operating costs and undermine investor confidence.
Sahney has called on the government to provide clarity to the people of Punjab and explain how it plans to prevent recurring outages while ensuring the financial sustainability of the state’s electricity system.
Punjab Outlook Analysis: The central question raised by Sahney is whether Punjab’s power problems are fundamentally a coal-supply crisis or a combination of technical failures and financial stress within the state power system. If coal is available but generating units remain unavailable because of technical problems, the government will need to explain the nature of those failures, the repair timeline and the financial position of PSPCL.
Source: Statement/post by MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney on September 8, 2026. Figures regarding plant utilisation and the ₹7,800-crore revenue gap are attributed to Sahney and have not been independently verified here.