Punjab's ambitious plans to attract investment could be heading for darkness with six-hour to 15-hour power shutdowns becoming routine in the state, adversely affecting industrial, commercial and domestic consumers.

Against a requirement of 80 million units a day, Punjab generates only 48.5 million units and buys 20 million units from various sources.

But this is just not enough. "The gap is still too big and power cuts are the only solution," said a senior Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) official in Patiala.

The situation could stymie Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's plan to attract industrial and other investment, to pull it out of the slump it found itself in after the decade-long phase of bloody terrorism that ended in 1993.

In the state's industrial hub of Mohali, industrialists are already putting the writing on the wall. Mohali Industry Association president Gurmeet Singh stated that PSEB was imposing power cuts for a minimum seven hours each day.

Said a prominent industrialist grimly: "Unscheduled cuts are being imposed for 7 to 10 hours every day. Our workers are sitting idle. For how many hours can one run the industrial unit on generators? Our production costs will go up substantially."

Some industrialists have already shifted base to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh where there is better availability of power.

"We have to bank on the factory generator a lot these days to keep our production going. Power cuts come just unannounced," said Rajeev Kansal, factory manager at Torque Pharmaceuticals near the industrial town of Dera Bassi.

Agriculturists are faring no better with 12-18 hours of power cuts in villages a day.

"We have stopped keeping account of the power cuts imposed. Agriculture will suffer if the situation continues," said Bhagwant Singh of Hoshiarpur. Even on the domestic front, residents are upset with unscheduled cuts.

"Isn't it funny that a state that was to become power-cut-free in June last year sees more power cuts than any time before," said Mohali resident Jagmohan Singh.

And residents have been complaining that their lives are being badly affected, with their household appliances like geysers, blenders and microwaves lying virtually unused because of long hours without electricity.

But the worst hit at this time of the year are school and college students getting ready for their exams.

"Whenever I want to study late at night or wake up early, there is no electricity," said Gurveen Sandhu.

Unfortunately, the situation shows little signs of improving. PSEB officials put the blame on reduced power generation.

The water level in the reservoir of Bhakra Dam, they said, has hit a 30-year low at 1,548 ft, nearly 60 ft lower than last year.

Besides, units at the two thermal plants at Ropar and Bhatinda are undergoing annual repairs and maintenance resulting in greater shortfall of power.

There doesn't seem much light at the end of this tunnel in Punjab.