PSPCL asks Northern Grid to enhance power-drawing limit PATIALA: The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has claimed that the power position in the state would improve this week, provided the Northern Grid enhances the corporation’s drawing capacity.

The PSPCL has linked the increased power requirement with food security, stating that electricity is needed to save the paddy crop as it has been a poor monsoon so far.

The PSPCL currently has the sanction to draw 5,400 MW from the North Regional Load Dispatch Centre. It has asked for increasing the limit to 6,000 MW. The PSPCL had recently raised the matter before union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who had chaired a meeting of power ministers of all states.
Talking to HT, PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) KD Chaudhri said, “Following our request and the matter being taken up with the power minister, Northern Grid officials gave us a hearing. We are hopeful that they would allow enhance our drawing limit by at least 500 MW daily. All our efforts aimed at providing more power to consumers are based on the Northern Grid’s decision. Punjab has demanded at least 1,000 MW more from the central share for the paddy crop. Under the present circumstances, if the Centre allows us extra power, it will help only when our drawing capacity is increased. Currently, we are drawing up to and even more than our sanctioned drawl limit,” he said.

“The PSPCL has the capacity to purchase power and even augment the distribution system to transmit it, but only the Northern Grid restrictions don’t allow us to do so,” claimed Chaudhri, blaming the power cuts on grid curbs.

The Northern Grid controls the flow of power to the northern states. It fixes the drawing limit of states.