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The Bihar State Power (Holding) Company has taken a slew of measures to strengthen transmission and distribution to ensure smooth and quality energy supply by the end of next year.

The plan entails an expenditure of Rs 927 crore. It includes Rs 400 crore for strengthening and capacity augmentation of the transmission network and Rs 527 crore for strengthening and capacity augmentation network of the South Bihar Power Distribution Company and North Bihar Power Distribution Company.

Of Rs 527 crore, the North Bihar Power Distribution Company, which caters to consumers of 21 districts, would spend Rs 289.2 crore. Its south Bihar counterpart, which has 17 districts under its jurisdiction, would spend Rs 237.8 crore for construction of power sub-stations and capacity augmentation, laying of new transmission and distribution lines, installing distribution transformers, meters and others.

According to the proposal, the distribution companies would construct 22 new sub-stations and carry out renovation and modernisation of 164 sub-stations besides capacity augmentation of power transformers of the units.

These companies would also lay 835km of new 33KV lines, 2,363km of 11KV lines, 1,563km of low-tension lines, install 2,287 new distribution transformers and carry out capacity augmentation of 1,516 distribution transformers. Around 91,874 households would be electrified and 59,708 meters would be replaced across the state as part of this work.

Similarly, Bihar State Transmission Company Ltd would construct two new grid sub-stations and carry out capacity augmentation of 24 grid sub-stations. It would also lay 745km of 132KV lines and 385km of 220KV lines, apart from replacing conductors for 487km of 132KV and 120km of 220KV lines.

The tender for the work is expected to be issued soon so that work on strengthening the transmission and distribution network can start.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of next year when the state would go to polls.

On November 1, chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had inaugurated the schemes on the second anniversary of the foundation day of Bihar State Power (Holding) Company and its four subsidiaries.

In 2013, the state’s transmission evacuation capacity was 2,700MW but in the past one year, the capacity has increased to 3,500MW.

The company intends to take it to 4,500MW by the end of 2015, said power holding company chairman-cum-managing director Pratyaya Amrit at a function recently.

The break-up of 2,700-2,800MW, which the state is drawing now includes allocation of 1,500 to 1,600MW of power from 2,129MW of scheduled central sector allocation, 110MW from the Muzaffarpur plant and other sources, besides purchasing around 600 to 1,000MW of power from the open market.