Chandigarh, Jul 4 (IANS): Facing statewide protests and criticism from the opposition parties, the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) on Sunday said it is ensuring uninterrupted eight hours of electricity supply to farmers daily for paddy sowing even amidst unprecedented demand hike across the domestic sector.

PSPCL Chairman and Managing Director A. Venu Prasad said that the topmost priority for the department is to fulfil the requirements of agriculture sector in view of ongoing paddy operations across the state.

Citing data of electricity time supplied to agriculture operations on Saturday, he said average supply hours for border zone comprising Gurdaspur, Sub-Amritsar and Taran Tarn was 12.4 hours, while Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr districts of the north zone received on average 10.3 hours of supply on the same day.

Similarly, farmers of Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Ropar and Mohali districts that form the south zone got on average 9.6 hours of electricity supply during the same period.

Areas of Bathinda, Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Ferozepur got 8.9 hours average supply. Overall, the state average of power supply hours to the sector on the same day turns out to be 9.8 hours.

Reiterating the government's commitment to ensure quality power supply to all sectors, the CMD said all efforts are being made to balance the demand and supply equation at the earliest to avoid any hardship to any citizen.