Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the state government is fully prepared to provide uninterrupted power to farmers for paddy sowing.
In a statement issued here, Mann said like the previous year, the state government has decided to commence sowing of paddy across the state in a phased manner.
Sowing started on June 10 in some parts of the state. The remaining areas will be covered on June 16, 19, and 21, he said.
Mann said the state has been divided into four zones to implement sowing mechanisms effectively.
In the first phase, transplantation in areas beyond the fence across the border started on June 10, the statement said.
"From tomorrow, uninterrupted power will be ensured in the second phase to seven districts -- Ferozepur, Faridkot, Pathankot, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar, and Tarn Taran," Mann said.
In the third phase, paddy transplantation will be done from June 19 in Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Fazilka, Bathinda, and Amritsar districts whereas in the remaining nine districts of Patiala, Jalandhar, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Barnala and Mansa paddy transplantation will start from June 21.
The chief minister said a minimum of eight hours of regular power supply will be ensured by all means.
Elaborate arrangements have been made in this regard and no stone will be left unturned for it, he said, adding that the state government has surplus coal stock with it to produce electricity.