The Hindu : Bihar, Jharkhand face power crisis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 13, 2002

National

National

Bihar, Jharkhand face power crisis

By K. Balchand

PATNA July 12. Bihar and Jharkhand are faced with a major power crisis from tomorrow with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) deciding to regulate power supply to the State, penalising it for non-payment of arrears totalling Rs. 2,254 crores, and Rs. 2,040 crores respectively.

The Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) today notified the grim situation in the State through advertisements informing the people that the NTPC had decided to decrease the supply by at least 250 MW. The BSEB, however, claimed that it would still be having about 650 MW at its disposal for distribution in the State, notwithstanding the hardship that is sure to befall the people.

Residents of Patna are sure to feel the pinch most, having been pampered all these years with almost uninterrupted power. As against the requirement of about 325MW, the State capital would get about 200-220 MW daily, according to the BSEB subjecting localities to load shedding.

The condition in the rest of the state would be worse still with about 280-300 MW being earmarked for all the districts put together. The BSEB claimed that it would ensure power supply to essential service by making available 130 MW for this sector.

The last-minute efforts of the State Government seem to have come a cropper. The Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, held a meeting of top officials, following which the Chief Secretary, S.N. Biswas, wrote letters to the NTPC Chairman and the Union Power Secretary, underlining the Government's commitment in clearing the arrears in principle, after a tripartite adjudication.

The Minister of State for Power, Shyam Razak, alleged that the Centre was meting out a step-motherly treatment to Bihar, wondering why Bihar was being singled out when Uttar Pradesh was the biggest defaulter owing a whopping Rs. 4416 crores, where as Bihar was fourth in the list and Jharkhand sixth.

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