Rise on cards

Ranchi, May 20: Jharkhand State Electricity Board has proposed an across the board hike in power rates in a tariff petition filed before the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC).

But with the regulatory body defunct over the past one month as its previous chairman S.K.F. Kujur voluntarily resigned after attaining 65 years of age, the Jharkhand State Electricity Board petition would have to wait till the state government filled up the existing vacancies.

Though the details of the tariff proposals would not be public till hearings by the regulatory body are held, insiders revealed that huge deficits compelled Jharkhand State Electricity Board to seek a revision in tariff.

Against an average peak time demand of 800 MW plus, internal generation from the two thermal power units — Patratu and Tenughat — and the lone hydel power unit at Sikidiri barely crosses the 400 MW mark, forcing Jharkhand State Electricity Board to buy power from outside. Sources said Jharkhand State Electricity Board buys 300MW of power every day on an average from the central grid paying Rs 8 to Rs 10 per unit.

The cost of power production in the state is pegged at around Rs 2.80 per unit.

Against this backdrop, Jharkhand State Electricity Board charges Rs 1.32 per unit from its domestic subscribers and Rs 3.80 from industrial subscribers. For every unit of power purchased and sold, JSEB incurs a net loss of Rs 4 to Rs 7 a unit, said the sources.

To add to the trouble, figures for February 2008 released by Jharkhand State Electricity Board revealed that around 50 per cent of all power received by the state is stolen.