Owing to its high debts amounting to Rs 3,527 crore, the Damodar Valley Corporation has issued a notice announcing power cut for long hours from November 16 in seven districts of State including Dhanbad.The notice addressed to chief engineer (C & R), Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited, read that the DVC is reeling under high debts. The sum amounting to Rs 3,527 .80 crore remain unpaid by the office.
No payment has been received from the JBVNL from April 2018 till date, it says. It also mentions that Rs 20 crore in the month of June 2018 and Rs. 350 crore in the month of September 2018 have been received by the corporation against energy bills raised by it.
Under the notice the DVC has guided the JBVNL that if no payment is received from JBVNL towards arrear dues along with current dues immediately, the regulation in power cut extending to 30 percent will be imposed from 00:00 hrs. of November 16.
When contacted General manger cum chief engineer of electricity, Dhanbad, Naresh Prasad Sinha avowed the power cut commencing from 16th November, for almost 7 and half hour. When asked about the difficulties the common mass is going to face he said the power cut of seven and half hour will not take place continuously in a day but in parts. He agreed upon the problem that would arise from the power cut in such long hours. He also raised concern about the wrath the department is going to face from the consumers.
“The common people are now more alert and they are not going to tolerate such nuisances. What if some crowd gather and attack the Giridih grid,” said Naresh Sinha.
Sunil Thakur, Chief engineer of JBVNL, when contacted said that this problem is not new but it is continuing since 33 years. He said that the board gets electricity only for household or domestic purpose whereas the High value Electricity is distributed directly.“We buy electricity at the rate of Rs 4.93 per unit and sell it at the rate of around 40 paisa per unit; this is costly affair for us “Said Sunil Thakur.