Illumination at the Nai Sadak area in Patna City. Picture by Sachin

Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Limited (BSPHCL) has some good news for Durga Puja committees, pandal-hoppers and residents for the festive days.

The power utility is ready to provide unhindered round-the-clock supply (with proper voltage) to the state, especially the city. It has been buying 400MW to 450MW extra power from Power Trading Corporation for the past week or so to meet the hike in demand during Durga Puja. Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) too has done its maintenance work to ensure the same.

Welcoming the decision, Chanchal Banerjee, an executive member of Gulzarbagh Sanskritik Parishad, said: “It would help us illuminate our pandal and lightings and increase our zeal for celebrations. Though we have a genset for back-up, that can’t match normal power supply.”

Vibhuti Pandey, a bank employee and a resident of Annu Complex, Sandalpur Road in Kumhrar, said: “The news that there would not be a power cut during Puja is a big relief. Still, I am keeping my fingers crossed vis-à-vis the power company’s claims, as it is difficult to believe them.”

Class X student Rohit Kumar plans to visit pandals on Ashtami and Navami. The excited teenager said: “The real happiness of visiting various pandals on Puja days can be felt only when the pandals are properly illuminated. That is possible only with uninterrupted and smooth power supply. Such lightings and decorations are not possible with the help of gensets.”

“There would be no problem during the four days of Puja because we have been purchasing 400MW to 450MW of additional power to meet the growing demand of the state during Puja. If need be, the company would buy further power to replenish the demand during the four days of Puja,” said H.R. Pandey, the BSPHCL deputy general manager (public relations).

Pesu general manager-cum-chief engineer SSP Srivastava said the undertaking has made adequate arrangements to ensure smooth power supply in Patna. He added that transformers and low-tension lines from where power would be supplied to the Puja committees have either been repaired or changed.

Issuing a stern warning to the Puja committees, Srivastava said Puja committees must take proper connection to illuminate the pandals and if they are found hooking, they would face electricity theft cases.

Pandey said 24x7 control rooms would be set up in all the 10 divisions under Pesu’s jurisdiction. “We already have a centralised control room at the Scada Business Centre but we have set up special control rooms from Sashthi to Dashami to attend to complainants in all our divisions,” he added.