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Staff shortage hits PSPCL’s 1912 helpline: Ludhiana residents allege delayed response
Residents said that the helpline which was given by the PSPCL to provide speedy resolution of electricity related complaints, has failed to serve its purpose
The city residents calling at Punjab State Power Corporation Limited’s (PSPCL’s) 1912 helpline for quick redressal of electricity complaints are being left high and dry, as minor faults and prolonged outages often remain unresolved for hours and, in many cases, days.
Residents said that the helpline which was given by the PSPCL to provide speedy resolution of electricity related complaints, has failed to serve its purpose. Many complain that despite registering issues, no timely action is being taken. Calls often go unanswered, and repeated complaints are logged without any response on the ground. Instead of offering relief, the service has become a source of frustration, leaving people helpless during power cuts.
Highlighting the grim situation, Ramandeep Singh, a resident of Punjabi Bagh in the Model Town division stated, “There was a spark in our nearby transformer which caused continuous voltage fluctuations in our colony. I immediately registered a complaint on the 1912 helpline, hoping it would be taken up quickly since it was affecting the entire neighbourhood. But even after calling multiple times and following up again and again, no staff came to fix the problem. For three long days, we had to suffer with erratic power supply with our appliances at risk. When the workers finally showed up, the issue was fixed in hardly 10 minutes. For such a minor task, we were left hanging for three days,” he alleged.
Similarly, Kamalpreet Kaur, a resident of Shimlapuri said,”My area was left in darkness for more than nine hours after rain triggered widespread outages. What is the use of this service when it renders inoperative when we need it the most.”
Meanwhile, PSPCL officials attributed the delays and inefficiency to a severe staff shortage. They noted that with only around 30% of sanctioned posts filled across the city, the limited field staff struggles to keep up with the growing number of complaints. In Ludhiana district alone, which has a consumer base of over 18 lakh, there are only about 1,500 complaint handling workers (CHB), a ratio that makes it extremely difficult to provide timely service to residents across the city.
They further explained that complaints made on 1912 helpline are first received at two central call centres covering the entire state. They are then forwarded to local nodal complaint centres, which assign the tasks to outsourced CHB responsible for on-ground repairs.
“But, on an average, there are just three to four CHB teams per shift to cater to thousands of residents at each divisional office. In such a situation, a single team is expected to cover 20 to 35 km of area, making it nearly impossible to handle the workload,” the officials added.
Highlighting the crisis, a CHB worker posted in the Aggar Nagar division, requesting anonymity, said, “The department does not have enough technical staff on the ground to assist residents during outages. Often, when a complaint is assigned to us, we don’t even have a ladder or basic equipment to complete the work on time. How can six to eight workers be expected to resolve hundreds of complaints across such a large area?”
Acknowledging the issue, Tarsem Lal, XEN of Model Town division, said, “On regular days, complaints are usually resolved within a day or two. However, during adverse weather conditions, the workload increases significantly, and with limited staff managing multiple duties, delays become unavoidable.”
