Prem Kishore Mishra (right) pleads to Bihar State Electricity Board chairman PK Rai to install a transformer at Hathsarganj area, in Patna on Monday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Hajipur resident Prem Kishore Mishra has been unrelenting in his effort to get an additional transformer in his locality and has even visited chief minister Nitish Kumar’s janata durbar, but in vain.

On Monday, the retired schoolteacher visited Bihar State Electricity Board chairman P.K. Rai’s monthly state-level janata durbar with the demand. The chairman asked officials concerned to improve the voltage in the area, but refrained from ordering an additional transformer.

“The transformer of ward number 2 in the Hathsarganj locality of Hajipur is overloaded. As a result, the residents have to face power cuts everyday,” said Mishra.

He has approached officials right from the assistant engineer in Hajipur to the chief engineer in the board at Patna. On Monday, he turned up before Rai with an application signed by the residents of the area. He attached with his application a letter from town legislator Nityanand Rai, who advocated Mishra’s case for installation of an additional transformer of 200KVA.

On the chairman’s reaction to his request, Mishra told The Telegraph: “He assured me of ensuring proper voltage but refused to order an additional transformer. The question is how can anyone ensure proper voltage without installing an additional transformer? Does the chairman have a magic wand?”

Mishra added that he, along with Nityanand, had visited the board office four times but the chairman was not available on any occasion. “Though we were able to meet the board secretary and chief engineer, we could not meet the chairman,” Mishra said. In June, Mishra had approached chief minister Nitish Kumar at his janata durbar with the same plea.

On his experience at Nitish’s janata durbar, he said: “I met the chief minister at his durbar where we were offered sattu mixed with sliced onion and lemon. Officials present there had taken me to the board chairman and the energy minister. The minister said a transformer couldn’t be installed, as there are huge power dues in the area.”

Altogether 40 applicants on Monday had turned up from across the state at the janata durbar.

The complaints ranged from expansion of low-tension wires, installation of new transformers and poles, rural electrification, rectification of inflated bills, timely delivery and correction of bills, new connections, payment of bills in instalments and waiver of delayed payment surcharge.