Patna, Nov. 14: Come December, power cuts in the city will be a thing of the past. But the comfort will come with a pocket pinch — 10 per cent additional charge. Tourist destinations Rajgir and Bodhgaya would also get 24x7 electricity.

The power consumers welcomed the notification of Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) announcing the uninterrupted power supply. But they expressed serious doubts on the board’s preparedness. A few also questioned the rationale behind charging consumers 10 per cent extra.

Confirming the introduction of the premium charge, BSEB spokesperson H.R. Pandey told The Telegraph: “We have issued a notification to levy 10 per cent premium on all consumers except Kutir Jyoti and the agriculture sector consumers.”

The notification stated that all the low-tension consumers under the jurisdiction of Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) and those of Rajgir and Bodhgaya, except Kutir Jyoti and agriculture sector customers, would have to pay 10 per cent premium on demand/fixed charges, power tariff and monthly minimum charge (collected from industrialists) from December 1. All high-tension consumers in these areas would also have to pay the premium, it read.

Several citizens took the notification with a pinch of salt. Sumita Singh, a teacher of history at JD Women’s College, said: “The premium charge would put an additional burden on the budget of the middleclass families. We use washing machine, microwave oven, heater, geyser and iron daily. Naturally, we will have to tweak our budget. Still, if the board ensures round-the-clock power supply, I won’t mind paying extra. But I have serious doubts on the board’s capability to provide 24-hour power supply.”

Echoing her, Devendra Kumar Singh, a Tata Steel engineer and a resident of Rajiv Nagar, said: “If the board provides round-the-clock service, I will not be jittery paying the additional charge. But given the board’s poor infrastructure, it will be pretty difficult for it to ensure uninterrupted power supply.”

Bihar Industries Association (BIA) president and managing director of Amrapali Food Ltd KPS Keshri told The Telegraph: “The big issue is whether it (board) can provide quality power (with proper voltage) for 24 hours. I don’t think the board has made any investment to strengthen its transmission and distribution system according to the Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission’s order in June.”

Another industrialist Sanjeev Choudhary, the managing director of Gangotri Iron and Steel Company, said the board should have first supplied uninterrupted power for two-three months and then issued the notification for the premium charge. “First it (board) should have given proof of its commitment and then come out with the premium charge notification,” Choudhary told The Telegraph.

The power board authorities, however, claimed that they were prepared to meet the 24x7 challenge. Pesu general manager-cum-chief engineer SKP Singh told The Telegraph: “We have strengthened our 33KV lines and grids. We have taken measures to minimise breakdowns. The undertaking is prepared to attend fuse-off calls at night and repair fuse of transformers in a shortest possible time.”

Singh added that the board was purchasing power from the open market to reduce its dependability on the central sector.

The power board has been making frantic efforts to augment the power scenario in the state, particularly in Patna. It had started its preparations to provide 24-hour power supply in the state capital in July but its senior officials were tightlipped on the date when the service would start.