DVC eyes power venture

Ranchi, Feb. 22: Alarm bells have started ringing in the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) as new players in the power sector gear up to give it a run for its money.

Following the footsteps of Tata Steel subsidiary Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company Limited (Jusco), power utility Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), too, is keen to take up the distribution of power within its command area of the state.

The company floated tenders inviting bids from interested parties to have a joint venture with DVC for the distribution of power in its command areas in the state, including districts like Dhanbad and Hazaribagh.

“The bids would be finalised soon. We want to take up the responsibility of distribution of power in our command areas and provide quality services to the consumers,” said DVC chairman Ashim Kumar Barman.

So far, the board used to buy power from the corporation and supply it to the consumers in these six districts.

But the new Electricity Act-2003 provides opportunities for other players to take up the distribution work, subject to green signal from the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC).

Some time back, JSERC had given its nod to Jusco, which had sought permission for power distribution licence in Seraikela-Kharsawan and now one-lakh customers of the district would have the choice to take supply either from the board or the private player.

However, once the commission allows DVC, similar choice would come to over 4 lakh consumers.

Seraikela-Kharsawan and Dhanbad are the two main revenue-generating districts for JSEB, provid- ing nearly Rs 35 crore to the board’s kitty every month.

The total monthly collection of the board is about Rs 90 crore.