NORTH- Priority to Power, too Late

October 12, 1974 Priority to Power, too Late SINCE 1968-69, the people of Punjab and, Haryana have become all too familiar with the consequences of a power shortage. This year, however, the shortage has been critical. The urban areas have suffured as much as the rural areas. Industry has been subjected to major cuts, of between 50 and 75 per cent. As a result, production has received a severe setback, and thousands of workers have been laid off. Because of the diesel shortage, some of the industries' own generating sets could also not work to full capacity. Agricultural operations in this region have been greatly hampered too, and had power not been diverted here from Delhi, Rajasthan, and J and K, as also from the urban centres of Punjab and Haryana, so as to keep the tubewells and pumping sets running for at least 6 to 8 hours daily, a major portion of the kharif crop would have had to be written off.