Akali Dal promises ₹5/unit power for Punjab industry if voted to power: Sukhbir Badal
Synopsis
SAD chief Sukhbir Badal has promised to halve Punjab's industrial power rate from ₹10-12 to ₹5 per unit, allow solar plants to bring it down further to ₹1.50, create a 'Build Punjab' clearance department, and push IT and AI investment — a sweeping pre-election pitch to a trade community that says the state is already unviable for business.
Key Takeaways
Sukhbir Singh Badal pledged on 30 October to supply Punjab industry power at ₹5 per unit , against the current ₹10–₹12 per unit .
Industrialists would be allowed to install solar plants, potentially cutting effective rates to ₹1.50 per unit .
A new 'Build Punjab' department would issue all builder permissions within one month .
SAD promised priority for IT and Artificial Intelligence facilities, self-attestation norms, and fully online permissions.
A 75 per cent subsidy on milch animal purchases and Section 307 against milk adulterators were also announced.
The next Punjab Assembly election is due in 2027 ; SAD is currently in opposition after losing to AAP in 2022.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday, 30 October, pledged that an SAD-led government in Punjab would supply power to the industrial sector at ₹5 per unit — slashing the current rate by half — and establish a dedicated 'Build Punjab' department to fast-track builder clearances. The announcements came during an open interaction with trade and industry representatives in Chandigarh, held alongside party's trade and industry wing President N.K. Sharma.
The Power Rate Promise
Badal argued that Punjab's industry had become 'unviable' owing to prevailing power rates of ₹10 to ₹12 per unit. An SAD government, he said, would bring this down to ₹5 per unit. Going further, the party chief announced that industrialists would be permitted to install their own solar power plants, which he claimed could reduce effective power costs to as low as ₹1.50 per unit.
Build Punjab Department and Clearance Reforms
Drawing a parallel with the Invest Punjab Department established during a previous SAD government — which was designed to provide time-bound clearances for new investments — Badal announced that a new Build Punjab department would be created. 'The department will be liable to issue all permissions to builders within one month,' he stated. He added that change of land use (CLU) charges would be reduced, the CLU process made fully transparent, and a one-time settlement scheme announced for all irregular colonies.
IT, AI, and Business Environment Pledges
The SAD president also committed to giving top priority to establishing new IT and Artificial Intelligence facilities in Punjab. On easing the business environment, Badal said the party believes in trusting citizens, pledging to introduce self-attestation to eliminate paperwork and digitise all permissions so that no citizen would need to visit a government office for official work.
Other Sector-Specific Announcements
Badal made several additional commitments covering multiple sectors. He announced a 75 per cent subsidy for the purchase of milch animals and said that Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code would be invoked against those found adulterating milk. He said the SAD government would address the freezing of the 2.5 per cent commission paid to arthiyas (grain market middlemen) during foodgrain procurement. Small transporters currently required to pay four years' tax in advance would also get relief, he added. Chemist shop owners' grievances regarding the alleged sale of habit-forming drugs through online platforms in Punjab would be examined as well.
Political Context
The announcements come as SAD seeks to rebuild its support base in Punjab, where it is currently in opposition following its defeat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. The party's pre-election outreach to trade and industry signals an effort to shore up constituencies that have historically backed it. Whether these pledges translate into a credible electoral challenge remains to be seen, with the next Punjab assembly election due in 2027.
Point of View
Whose industrial electricity pricing has drawn sustained criticism from Punjab's business community. Halving rates to ₹5 and enabling private solar generation to push costs to ₹1.50 is an ambitious pledge — but its fiscal math, particularly how the subsidy gap would be financed, was not addressed. The 'Build Punjab' framing consciously mirrors SAD's own legacy 'Invest Punjab' brand, suggesting the party is fighting the 2027 election partly on nostalgia. The harder question is whether industrial revival in a state with a fragile fiscal position and deep agrarian obligations can be delivered through price cuts alone, without structural power-sector reform.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What power rate has Akali Dal promised for Punjab industry?
Shiromani Akali Dal has promised to supply power to Punjab's industrial sector at ₹5 per unit if voted to power, down from the current ₹10–₹12 per unit. The party also said it would allow industries to set up their own solar plants, which could bring effective rates down to ₹1.50 per unit.
What is the 'Build Punjab' department announced by Sukhbir Badal?
The 'Build Punjab' department is a proposed body that would provide time-bound clearances to builders, with a mandate to issue all permissions within one month. It is modelled on the Invest Punjab Department that SAD established during its earlier term in government.
When is the next Punjab Assembly election?
The next Punjab Assembly election is scheduled for 2027. SAD is currently in opposition after losing to the Aam Aadmi Party in the 2022 state elections.
What other promises did Sukhbir Badal make to Punjab's trade and industry?
Beyond the power rate cut, Badal announced reduced CLU charges, a one-time settlement for irregular colonies, self-attestation and fully online permissions, a 75 per cent subsidy on milch animal purchases, relief for small transporters, and addressing chemists' concerns about online sale of habit-forming drugs.
Why has industry in Punjab been called unviable?
SAD president Sukhbir Badal argued that power rates of ₹10–₹12 per unit have made Punjab's industry unviable, raising operating costs beyond competitive levels. Trade representatives at the meeting reportedly endorsed this concern.
