Punjab govt announces new office timings for summer to save electricity; Details here

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced new office timings for all the state government offices. As per the new timings announced for the summer season, all the state government offices in Punjab would operate from 7.30 am to 2 pm from May 2 to July 15. 

Announcing that he himself will reach the office at 7:30 am, Chief Minister Mann said that the new office timings will help save electricity power in the state which can help provide some relief from the summer heat. Notably, the usual office timings of the Punjab government departments are from 9 am to 5 pm.

Punjab govt’s sustainable move 

Mentioning the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Mann said, “The power utility department has stated that the peak load of electricity starts after 1.30 pm and if government offices are shut at 2 pm, then it will help in reducing peak load by 300 to 350 MW.” 

"Public is happy. We see in summer, there is a heatwave in the afternoon and the public suffers a lot outside. So this new timing will give them relief. Now people will not have to skip their jobs to visit government offices for their work," he added.

The state government's move to save energy has been welcomed by many as a positive and sustainable act of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government. However, many have raised concerns regarding the impact of changes in timings on government employees.