CHANDIGARH, April 28 -- There will be no power shortage in the state from May 1 with the government making comprehensive preparations to tackle a sharp surge in electricity demand amid the ongoing heatwave, power minister Sanjeev Arora said on Monday. Arora said that the power demand skyrocketed from 7,900MW on April 15 to 12,000 MW by April 25 in just 10 days. "Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is fully prepared to meet the unexpected rise in power demand during the current summer and ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply across the state. In the past few days, there was a power shortage due to an intense heatwave. This shortage took place in every state in the northern region," he said, adding, "The situation was under control now and from May 1, there will be no power shortage." The minister said under 'Mission Roshan Punjab', a Rs.6,000 crore investment is underway to modernise and strengthen the power infrastructure across the state. "The state's power utility has managed to maintain grid stability at a time when several parts of the country are grappling with shortages," he said. The minister said that at the national level, power demand has also touched record highs, with India recording an all-time peak demand of 252 GW on April 24, while available supply stood at around 239 GW, creating a 13 GW deficit across the country. He further added that negotiations for 1,500 to 2,000 MW additional power through banking arrangements with other states are in advanced stages. "State hydel plants damaged in 2025 floods are being restored, with 300 MW additional capacity expected shortly," he said. Additional procurement from other states and private sources is securing nearly 1,500 MW of extra power, he said. "Punjab is preparing to draw 2,000 MW from the Central power pool," he said. He also informed about the waiver of wheeling charges and cross-subsidy from 6 pm to 6 am for two months to encourage more power availability. Asked about joining the BJP, Arora said he would continue to remain in the AAP. "I am addressing you today as a cabinet minister of Punjab. I represent the AAP, and I keep on doing that," Arora said. To a question on recent raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at his premises, Arora said that he would fully cooperate with the agencies and was confident that the truth would prevail. The ED on April 17 had conducted searches at the premises of Arora, his son and some others in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Gurugram and Chandigarh as part of a foreign exchange violation probe linked to alleged insider trading in stock markets and round-tripping of betting funds from the UAE to India....