CHANDIGARH:  In a significant move towards the conservation of electric energy, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today directed Punjab Energy Development Authority (PEDA) and Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to initiate a joint campaign on war-footing to achieve hundred percent efficient lighting in the domestic sector by the end of March, 2009.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Punjab Government said that Chief Minister had asked PEDA to issue a directive immediately to ban use of incandescent bulbs and normal tubes lights with magnetic choke in government/boards/corporation offices' buildings, hospitals and other institutions so that all bulbs and tubes could be replaced with CFL and T-8 efficient tube lights with electronic choke. PEDA has also been authorized to invite competitive rates from approved manufacturers/supplies of efficient lighting fixtures for rate contract for different wattages CFLs and energy efficient tube lights. The rate contract with specifications would be circulated to the various government departments/boards/corporations for direct procurement from the approved manufacturers/suppliers and to achieve hundred percent efficient lighting in government offices by March 31,2009.

 The Chief Minister has also directed to Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to launch an awareness and publicity campaign to educate domestic consumers to use CFLs and other efficient lighting fixtures in place of incandescent bulbs and normal tubes with magnetic chokes. This exercise would be done to convince consumers to switchover to efficient lighting for saving in energy bills on voluntary basis, said the spokesman.

It may be recalled that the Punjab Government had constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Mr. RI Singh to jointly implement energy conservation/efficiency Punjab in the state on fast tract basis with Mr. TP Sidhu, Chief Executive PEDA, Mr. MR Garg, Additional Secretary Power, Mr. M.S.Dua Chief Engineer PSEB and Mr. PK Bansal Director (Energy Conservation PSEB as the members.