After ETO and Arora, tough challenges await minister Sond in Punjab Power Sector
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 12,2026
The Punjab government has appointed Tarunpreet Singh Sond as the new Power Minister, replacing Sanjeev Arora.
Sond is the third minister to head the Power Department under the Aam Aadmi Party government. Earlier, the department was headed by Harbhajan Singh ETO, followed by Sanjeev Arora.
Both ETO and Arora remained at loggerheads with engineers and employees of the state power sector. Interestingly, both ministers were eventually removed from the department in one way or another.
Newly appointed power minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond now faces a difficult task in managing Punjab’s power sector at a crucial time when the department itself is going through a challenging phase marked by rising power demand during summer, frequent power cuts, power shortages, limited power banking, joint action committee, contractual, outsourced employees agitations, and financial stress.
One of the biggest challenges before the newly appointed minister will be managing Punjab’s sharply increasing electricity demand during the summer and paddy cultivation season. Ensuring uninterrupted power supply to farmers, domestic consumers, and industries will be a major responsibility, especially in an election-sensitive environment.
Although the state government claims that the financial condition of the power sector has improved, Punjab continues to bear a heavy subsidy burden due to free electricity for many domestic consumers and free power supply to farmers. Rising power procurement costs from the national grid during peak demand periods have added further pressure on the sector. Balancing welfare commitments with the financial sustainability of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) will remain a major challenge for the new minister.
Punjab’s power sector is also witnessing growing tensions between the government and engineers’ associations over issues such as alleged political interference, the appointment of an IAS officer as CMD, pay and pension-related concerns, adhocism etc. These issues have affected operational efficiency and employee morale within PSPCL and PSTCL
At the same time, residents in several districts have been complaining about prolonged and unannounced power cuts, particularly during the ongoing heatwave. Public dissatisfaction is increasing, and the new minister will be under immense pressure to improve the quality and reliability of power supply at the earliest, to manage employees unrest, maintain financial discipline etc.
