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Ludhiana: Oppn questions infra-upgrades in poll-bound Ludhiana West
According to the data provided by the officials, PSPCL has installed 80 new transformers across the city in the past 20 days, out of the 234 planned
Nearly a month after the Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) announced a series of infrastructure upgrades to tackle power outages across Ludhiana, the opposition leaders have alleged that majority of these efforts are concentrated towards the West constituency, which is set for a by-election.
According to the data provided by the officials, PSPCL has installed 80 new transformers across the city in the past 20 days, out of the 234 planned. Around 32 transformers has been set in the poll-bound West constituency, costing over ₹92 lakh.The rest of the city has received 48 transformers, with some areas seeing minimal upgrades. For instance, Janata Nagar has received five transformers, while CMC and City Centre divisions have each been allocated seven.
In addition to these transformer installations, PSPCL is also working on 14 feeder line bifurcations across the city. Of these, four have already been completed in the West constituency, costing ₹1.15 crore.
Additionally, a separate plan has also been proposed to resolve a critical 66 kV power line issue solely in Ludhiana West by constructing a new 66 kV line at an estimated ₹10 crore. Further upgrades also include the installation of 67 new transformers prior to this phase, with work on another 82 transformers currently underway at a cost of ₹5 crore. These include transformers of 100 kVA (62 units), 200 kVA (52 units), and 315 kVA (35 units). PSPCL has also constructed four new 11 kV lines, with six more proposed, adding another ₹5 crore to the investment.
The concentration of development in Ludhiana West has sparked criticism from the opposition.
District Congress President Sanjay Talwar alleged that while the Ludhiana West area is already well-developed, it continues to receive the lion’s share of upgrades, while the rest of the city lags behind.
He said that civic bodies are currently focusing solely on developing Ludhiana West, an area that is already well-equipped, while neglecting the rest of the city. It is astonishing, he added, that other areas where development is genuinely needed, are being overlooked.
He said constituencies like Ludhiana East, Ludhiana North, and Ludhiana South have a much larger population and are in urgent need of infrastructure upgrades. However, instead of addressing these pressing concerns, authorities appear to be prioritising Ludhiana West in an attempt to sway voters ahead of the upcoming by-election, leaving other parts of the city to suffer the consequences of neglect.
Residents have also voiced their frustration over the unequal distribution of development projects.
Jaspreet Singla, a resident of New Janta Nagar, said, “Last year, our area suffered from prolonged power cuts. When PSPCL announced the installation of new transformers, I was hopeful that we would finally get some relief. However, it has been more than three weeks, and not a single new transformer has been installed in our locality.”
Replying to these allegations, Rajya Sabha member and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee for the upcoming West constituency by-election, Sanjeev Arora, asserted, “Whenever I announce a development project, it is meant for the entire city, not just Ludhiana West.”
Chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans stated, “Last year, Ludhiana West, particularly Jawahar Nagar, Haibowal and Salem Tabri, experienced the most severe power outages. That’s why we prioritised installing the maximum number of transformers in these areas. This has nothing to do with the by-election as we are undertaking similar projects across the city.”
