Deputy CM Hemant Soren speaks at IDTR in Gamharia on Thursday. (Bhola Prasad)

The long-drawn process of fixing transformers may soon be a thing of past in Jharkhand, once a full-fledged repair course is launched at the Indo-Danish Tool Room (IDTR) in Gamharia, Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

The initiative — a win-win for the state as well as youths — if it does materialise, will be the first such in the state, thanks to a prod from deputy chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday.

Hemant was at the cradle to hand over certificates to students who had completed two-year advanced machinist course sponsored by state welfare department.

“A transformer repair course is the need of the hour for the state,” addressed Hemant.

Elaborating on the need, the deputy chief minister said many villages got power under the Rajiv Gandhi rural electrification scheme, but this served little purpose in the absence of trained manpower.

“Due to the shortage of qualified repair personnel, if a transformer develops a snag, it takes up to six months to fix it. Till then, its command areas go without power. If we start a course, the state as well as youths will gain from the move,” said Hemant.

Appreciating the idea, IDTR general manager S.S. Kohli said he initiated talks with Union ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises for a clearance.

“The deputy chief minister’s suggestion is sound. We hope to get the Centre’s clearance soon,” said IDTR senior manager (administration) Ashutosh Kumar.

The Jharkhand State Electricity Board has six transformer repairing centres at Ranchi, Deogarh, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Daltonganj and Jamshedpur, but repairs are outsourced to a private firm.