PSPCL fails to set up control room to tackle power complaints

The project to start an internal power control room by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to deal with large number of complaints during the summer season is hanging fire, even as its deadline was June 1.

The department was supposed to depute 500 people on contract basis from June 1 for four months, and they were all to be provided with mobile phones and motorcycles, so that the complaints of the residents could be resolved at the earliest.

There is a PSPCL complaint centreat Janta Nagar, but because of shortage of staff and being the only complaint centre, the server of the centre remained clogged, resulting in delay in redressal of complaints.

Therefore, PSPCL Ludhiana Central Zone chief engineer Rashpal Singh proposed to set up 22 nodal centres in the city to redress the complaints, and also to set up an internal power control room from where the department could track major faults in city, besides holding meetings at various places to know the faults in power supply.

Being an industry-driven city and having huge population, power-related complaints in city in peak summer multiply manifold.

Sources said complaints reached up to 1,000 a day, and to tackle such a large number of complaints, huge manpower was needed. However, the PSPCL is reeling under severe staff crunch.
Chief engineer Rashpal Singh said work on setting up these nodal centres and making use of contractual staff couldn’t be completed because of some technical and official glitches.

“We are recruiting people on contractual basis, and will provide them vehicles and mobile phones for communication. The process would be completed within a day or so,” he assured.