Ludhiana, July 2 -- Residents across Ludhiana are facing prolonged power outages as the routine operations of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) remain severely disrupted by ongoing protests from both outsourced and regular employees. This double whammy has crippled the power restoration efforts, leaving several localities in the dark for over 20 hours on Wednesday.

Notably, around 1,230 outsourced employees, working as complaint-handling bike and wagon staff across Ludhiana district, have been on a statewide strike from July 1, suspending services that resolve power outage complaints registered through the 1912 helpline, officials familiar with the matter said.

The crisis has worsened as regular PSPCL staff are also on ...