Patna, Sept. 13: Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) says it has begun providing 24 hours of uninterrupted power supply to the state capital on a trial basis, but residents punched holes in the claim, saying it remained a “distant dream”.

“We have been providing round-the-clock power supply in the state capital since last Friday evening. Not a single case of power cut has been reported to us in the city due to load-shedding or major breakdown. We are moving ahead in our goal of providing unabated power supply to the city. For this, Pesu has started providing uninterrupted supply on a trial basis,” Pesu general manager-cum-chief engineer SKP Singh told The Telegraph.

Singh was quick to add that if any junior official claimed that supply in any particular area had been cut due to load-shedding then he or she was simply offering an excuse. “We have actually made the capital a load-shedding free area since Friday evening,” he said.

The Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) has prepared an action plan to provide round-the-clock power supply to Patnaites but authorities were reluctant to divulge the date from which the service would be started. Sources at BSEB say supply would start from the first week of October.

However, Pesu’s claims rang hollow in areas such as Boring Canal road, Anandpuri, Mainpura, Rajiv Nagar, Indrapuri and Kesri Nagar which continued to endure power cuts of one to two hours. When The Telegraph enquired with the Pesu control room about the reason for the power cuts, the operator replied: “Power supply has been snapped in the area as repair work is on.”

Ajay Kumar, a resident of Kesri Nagar, said: “This has exposed the tall claims of the board of providing uninterrupted power supply. No one would complain about a premium being charged if the board can ensure round-the-clock supply, but given the situation, it seems a distant dream.”

Asked whether the board has notified the area for charging a premium of 10 per cent for supplying 24 hours of power, Pesu’s Singh said: “We have strengthened our infrastructure to a great extent. We have strengthened our 33KV lines and grids but we have still a long way to go. Completing maintenance work within the shortest possible time is still a challenge for us but we will do it in a fortnight.”