Mohali, April 25 -- After three months of powering through endless blackouts, Mohali residents can finally heave a sigh of relief as the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has said this week will be one of the last phases of outages linked to its large-scale infrastructure upgrade. PSPCL deputy chief engineer (East zone, distribution circle) Harpreet Singh Oberoi said most work under the state's 'Roshan Punjab' programme - a power modernisation initiative aimed at ensuring uninterrupted 24x7 electricity - has been completed in the district. "What remains now is the last leg involving local transformers and LT (low-tension) level strengthening," hesaid. The Roshan Punjab scheme is a Rs.5,000-crore statewide effort to upgrade ageing power infrastructure, reduce transmission losses, and improve supply reliability. Mohali alone accounts for approximately Rs.900 crore worth of works under the programme, according to officials. Breaking down the expenditure, Oberoi said nearly Rs.300 crore has been investedin LT and 11 kV networks, while about Rs.600 crore has gone into 66 kV lines and gridsubstations. The upgrade became essential due to Mohali's rising electricity demand. According to PSPCL, the city recorded a peak consumption in June-July of nearly 350 MW per day last year, with an annual growth rate of 15-20%. To meet this increasing demand, new feeders, transformers, and strengthened distribution lines were required. "Upgrade was needed to unload the system," Oberoi said, adding that new transformers have been installed in rapidly growing areas such as Aerocity and Eco City. The frequent outages over recent months had triggered concern among residents, many of whom questioned why the work was not carried out during winter. Oberoi clarified that work has been going on since September, and they reached the stage where cuts were required only now. The cuts were essential to ensure the safety of technicians working on the ground. "At the same time, we ensured consumers were informed. That is why the government planned advance communication of every shutdown under the ORP (outage reduction plan). Weekly schedules were shared with leading dailies so that residents knew well in advance andcould plan their daysaccordingly." Officials believe that once the final phase concludes, Mohali will be among the regions closest to achieving uninterrupted power supply under the Roshan Punjab vision. Oberoi said, "From the moment people enter their homes, they expect comfort whether it is switching on a fan, air-conditioner, or heater in winters which we believe comes from a constant flow of electricity. Mobile phones remain plugged in, and household chores, especially in kitchens, depend heavily on electricity. PSPCL is working to achieve that 'Roshan Punjab' vision thissummer."...