Ludhiana, April 14 -- Some parts of the city, including City West, Model Town, Aggar Nagar, and Focal Point, faced unscheduled power cuts that lasted for hours, this week. The soaring temperatures and intense sandstorms added to the power woes. The officials have attributed these frequent power cuts to delayed maintenance work as a key factor, which are further exacerbated by a severe shortage of technical staff.

Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in Ludhiana is facing one of the highest vacancy rates in the state, with 75.9% of linemen and assistant linemen positions unfilled. Of the 4,963 sanctioned posts for these technical roles, 3,767 remain vacant. This severe understaffing, combined with high power demand in the city, ...