The generator in use at the Patna University office. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, March 16: Patna University is planning to deposit Rs 10.5 crore with the Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) to restore its power connection snapped more than six months ago.

The registrar of Patna University, Manoj Kumar, told The Telegraph: “The varsity is planning to deposit Rs 10.5 crore with the BSEB for restoration of power as a huge amount of money is spent on the purchase of diesel.”

Kumar said Rs 2 crore would be generated from the varsity’s internal resources and they had requested the state human resource development department to provide the remaining amount.

The varsity has generated Rs 1 crore from its internal resources, Kumar said, adding the university would hold a meeting of senior officials in a few days and the process for generating Rs 1 crore more would be discussed. Kumar also said once the amount is deposited with the BSEB, they would request the board officials to restore the power connection.

BSEB had disconnected the power of the varsity for non-payment of bills for more than 20 years. The university sources said the varsity owes more than Rs 50 crore to the BSEB.

Of the Rs 50 crore, the major portion is the penal interest imposed by the power board for non-payment of bills.

As a temporary arrangement, power is being supplied at the varsity office through generators. They gulp more than 50 litres of diesel daily, resulting in huge financial losses for the varsity.

A clerk at the accounts department of the varsity said: “We spend more than Rs 2,000 daily for purchasing diesel and the monthly figure comes to more than Rs 50,000.”

The varsity has spent more than Rs 3 lakh in purchasing diesel in the past six months, which is far more than the monthly power bill for the same period of time. Worse, the generators contribute to noise and air pollution.

There is no separate room for the generators and they are placed at the main entrance of the varsity office.

A clerk at the varsity main office said the supply of power through generators is a temporary arrangement because there is no power in several rooms of the varsity main campus despite the generators.

The generators are shut down for a couple of hours in the day as well.

Rakesh Kumar, a student leader, said: “Though the university has installed generators as a temporary arrangement, official work gets hampered. Many a times the photocopier machine stops functioning as the generators fail to take the load.”

According to a source, the air-conditioners only in the rooms of very high officials are switched on to reduce the generator’s diesel consumption.

The grim power scenario is not just confined to Patna University campus. Many colleges under the university are also plagued with the same problem.