Patiala, June 29 -- Unscheduled power cuts owing to record demand driven by soaring temperatures and the ongoing paddy transplantation season have sparked protests by farmers across the state. The union leaders have warned of intensified demonstrations outside Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) offices across the state on June 30, if the situation doesn't improve. On Sunday, farmers staged sit-ins outside the PSPCL subdivision offices in Majithia (Amritsar), Sangrur, Mansa, Patiala and Bathinda districts, alleging that erratic supply was disrupting paddy transplantation. The protests came on a day when the state recorded its highest electricity demand of the season. Peak demand touched 16,842 MW on Sunday, surpassing the previous seasonal high of 16,456 MW recorded on Friday. The surge in consumption, according to the PSPCL officials, has been driven by the continuing heatwave and the use of tubewells for the paddy transplantation. Punjab remained in the grip of an intense heatwave on Sunday, with the state's average maximum temperature rising by 0.5 degrees Celsius and staying 2.8 degrees Celsius above normal. Faridkot recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 45.7degC, while Bathinda touched 44degC, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). To meet the demand, PSPCL had to draw around 11,200 MW from the northern grid, while its own generation stood at 5,697 MW. Of the state's generation, thermal plants contributed 1,518 MW, independent power producers (IPPs) generated 2,900 MW, and all four units of the Ranjit Sagar Dam produced around 560 MW. One unit of the Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Plant remained shut. Farmer organisations alleged that instead of the promised eight hours of uninterrupted supply during the paddy transplantation season, the power was being provided in short and irregular spells. Farmer union leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said over the past few days, the agricultural power supply has been severely affected. "Paddy fields are drying up. Farmers are not getting an uninterrupted power supply for more than three hours at a stretch. We will hold protests outside PSPCL offices across Punjab on June 30 if the situation doesn't improve," he said. PSPCL data showed that the utility received nearly one lakh complaints related to power supply on June 27 alone. Officials, requesting anonymity, said that unscheduled power cuts have become necessary to prevent the entire electricity grid from collapsing under unprecedented demand. "The demand has put immense pressure on the state's electricity network. Although the state has been drawing substantial power from the central grid, the sharp rise in agricultural consumption has narrowed the margin available for uninterrupted power supply," he added. PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director Basant Garg said the situation has improved and the utility has managed to overcome the shortfall. "Yesterday, there was a power shortfall as hydel power generation from the Ranjit Sagar Dam stopped. We have overcome the shortfall, and the situation has improved today. We are committed to providing eight hours of uninterrupted power supply to farmers," he said. Opposition parties criticised the AAP government, alleging that prolonged and unscheduled cuts had left farmers as well as domestic consumers in distress. In a post on X, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the state government of failing to ensure uninterrupted electricity despite repeatedly claiming that Punjab had surplus power. "Farmers were being denied the promised eight hours of power supply for paddy transplantation, while urban and rural consumers were facing frequent outages," he said. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged that the government was ignoring the crisis. "Farmers are staging dharnas while the government is turning a blind eye. This has sparked fear of crop damage," he said....