Patna, June 8: Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Ltd has decided to purchase 6,200 distribution transformers to ensure better and smooth power supply to urban and rural households.

The holding company has devised a three-year plan to bring a qualitative improvement in the state’s power distribution system. The capacity of the overloaded distribution transformers, from which consumers draw power to their residences, would also be enhanced.

A source told The Telegraph: “All this would be achieved under a three-year plan of the holding company. It would cost Rs 150.21 crore of which the energy department has sanctioned Rs 30 crore in the current fiscal to implement the scheme. The amount would be distributed equally between North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd to execute the work.”

The three-year plan would help the holding company fulfil chief minister’s Nitish Kumar’s directive to get burnt transformers replaced within 24 hours in urban areas and 72 hours in rural areas. The additional 6,200 high-capacity distribution transformers would also help ensure smooth power supply to all households by 2015 — a promise Nitish made to the people on Independence Day last year.

The state government, recently, took the decision to empower people’s representatives — MPs, MLAs and MLCs — to recommend the purchase of distribution transformers from their local area development funds (for MPs) and CM area development fund (for MLAs and MLCs). The decision was taken to facilitate the early replacement of burnt transformers.

According to the holding company’s plan, 4,100 distribution transformers of 100KVA capacity, 2,000 distribution transformers of 200KVA capacity and 100 distribution transformers of 315KVA would be purchased.

These distribution transformers would be installed on a priority basis in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga districts. Emphasis would be laid on those areas from where cases of transformers being burnt or damaged because of overload are reported during peak summer or extreme cold wave conditions. Sources said constant demand from people for the installation of new high-capacity transformers, replacing old ones, would also be addressed.

For instance, if an area with a 100KVA transformer has a requirement for a 200KVA one, the new transformer would be installed. Either both the transformers can operate or the low- capacity one can be shifted to an area with the same requirement.

The holding company would use the two distribution companies to ensure that the distribution transformers run according to their capacity besides gradually reducing the rate of distribution transformers getting damaged or burnt.